Hetalia history (Serbia)
by histroyandanime14
Summary: I want to write about events from my OC perspective and mention some things that are usually overlooked. P.S. I try to convey my thoughts very carefully and I take great care with my words in each chapter. I apologise for any clumsy mistakes or confusing wording. English IS my second language and I try to make them as picturesque as possible.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello and welcome to my new series of stories. My idea is to write history from my OC's perspective but I will give my best to present all of the other characters respectfully. Hope you like it and please have patience because the story might need a few chapters to become interesting._

A long table, in a dim-lighted room, is filled to the last seat with Serbian military, government and church officials. At the head of the table sits the king. Their somber faces foreshadow the horrors that are yet to come. Everyone is quiet.

Serbia, arms folded, stands next to a window where only a slightest strip of light is allowed to enter the room. Serbia has been wearing a male military uniform ever since AH declared war. Her boyish short hair is stylishly cut.

The secretary reads from the agenda: "The next item on the list is our public image. The Austro-Hungarian government along with their allies has already started spreading propaganda about the "inferiority and savagery" of the Serbian people. Any suggestions?"

The table is silent. All humans are deep in thought, their mustaches hanging in a very somber down arch. Serbia stands there for a while nervously dabbing her fingers against her forearm. The silence dominates the room in such a way that the ticking of the wall clock seems as loud as canon fire.

A ding sound is heard and a light bulb appears above the nation's head. "I got it! I have the perfect solution for that!" she shouts. All of the faces turn in her direction. Energetically, she moves the curtain and the screen is engulfed by sunlight. The humans squint.

"I know, it may sound a bit crazy but hear me out" she continues with confidence. "What kept us from forgetting who we were during the Ottomans? Even when all was lost, what kept us going?"

Everyone is dead quiet.

Eyes wide open, she smiles all excited and says: "Epics. Those magnificent stories, glorifying our greats and our ordeals. They helped me survive centuries of servitude. That is what we need now. An epic written in such a way that it will bring tears to the eyes of even our worst enemies". She says that with such enthusiasm that she can't help but jump triumphantly on the table.

The king frowns, his mustaches wiggling unpleased. He then looks at his thin nation: "With all do respect Serbia. I do not think you are taking this seriously." His words make her turn pale and stone gray as she retreats to her chair.

The focus shifts on another minister: "I agree completely. My suggestion is to focus on hard facts. We should take pictures and keep records of everything that happens". Seeing she is outnumbered, Serbia slouches a little.

"You are right. Nothing beats lies like the truth. But will it be enough? What if our enemies accuse us of subjectivity?" a military official speaks. Serbia slouches even more. The debate continues.

"Yes, that may be a problem...Perhaps it is best if we invite a foreign investigator. One with high credentials."

"Good idea. Someone whose name doesn't end with -ić" another minister jokes. This cracks a smile on a few faces. "The more generic the surname the better" one church official adds giggling.

The king seems pleased: "Then it is settled. I shall put things in motion the first thing tomorrow. We don't have a lot of time until Austro-Hungary's troops mobilize." Everyone is in a much better mood, except for Serbia whose head is pressed against the table.

She mumbles: "I was being serious. An epic is always a great idea."

The Mitropolit addresses her in a sympathetic voice: "It's not that it's bad. It's just not practical."

"Why do you say that?" her voice is muffled by the table her face is still hugging.

"Well for example, the greatest hero of our oral tradition, Marko Kraljević. Those epics uplifted the hearts of dozens of generations, right?" he continues calmly.

"Yes" she says cautiously still not lifting her head.

"How trustworthy are they? I want to say, of course Marko Kraljević was real but did he really do all does incredible things? Like chased down an elf, lived 300 years or picked up a pair of oxen with the entire cart just to kill a few Turks?"

She thinks about playing dead for a moment of two but realizes everyone is staring at her. "Maybe" she utters.

"You see. We can't prove that, can we? It's not the most accurate portrayal of events, is it?" the Mitropolit continues as if teaching a child about the merits of eating vegetables.

"Fair point" the slim nation raises her head. She stands up straight addressing the king: "Is there anything I can do boss?"

"Actually... I have a special mission for you."

 _Dear readers, thank you for stopping by. If you want to contribute to the story being written faster, please visit my Profile page for more information._

 _Note: I haven't written the names of government officials of the time not because I was lazy but because it felt weird. I didn't want to put names of such important historical figures into something that has talking walking human personifications of pieces of land as main characters. If you are intrigued, you can learn about them online. Here are some of them:_

 _King- Петар Први Карађорђевић_

 _The Mitropolit – Димитрије_

 _Some important ministers: Никола Пашић, Стојан Протић_

 _Generals: Војвода Радомир Путник, Војвода Живојин Мишић, Војвода Степа Степановић_


	2. Chapter 2

A cuckoo clock ticks in a silent study room. The room is decorated with wooden shelves filled with books and the window shows a lovely view of the snow covered Alps.

"Yes, I see your problem" says Switzerland while staring into his reflection in the window. He then turns silent, as in deep thought, and abruptly continues: "Sadly, I have experienced something similar. Many of my own people are descendants of those adorn as 'unfit' by their countrymen. Of course, they were intellectuals who refused to accept the status quo in their place of birth: yours are not. So they moved here and helped me be who I am today."

The cuckoo clock is heard as it announces a full hour. Switzerland continues his monologue at this point completely forgetting that he is not alone: "Such wonderful machines these clocks are. So much innovation, so much creativity. The last century was truly wonderful in that regard. I was really looking forward to seeing what such burst of energy would bring... And now we'll never know. Because of this stupid war. Now, innovation will be spent on bigger, better and faster killing machines and creativity will serve nations in killing their enemies in ways not even dreamed of before."

He says all this with his eyes fixated on the desk in front of him, speaking to but not even glancing at his company. He turns back to the window. His stern expression changes. He becomes visibly sad. "What worries me the most is what is already being done to the peoples' psyche. This topic really interests me by the way. It's funny how the brain of a human works. Show anyone a group of any kind, preferably of people they don't know much about, adorn the group with any of the colorful adjectives used to depict general human flaws and watch them bond the two almost instantaneously. No one knows why. Perhaps, it is easy to believe a person is deceitful, lazy, prone-to-wises or anything else if that person is not you."

Switzerland sighs: "I fear that this characteristic will be amplified even more for the purposes of destroying the enemy on all levels. Slander and libel will be lifted through radio and newspapers to ultimate truths. Suddenly, the technology created for better flow of information will be used to spread propaganda and falsehoods. It is terrifying to imagine what monstrous levels it will reach during the war."

The camera moves to the middle of the room where Serbia is standing perfectly still and listening with one raised eyebrow. "A simple yes or no would do. I asked if it was alright with you if I approached one of your university experts for help. There was no need for a twenty minute speech."

Switzerland turns in her direction, not pleased that one of his better trains of though had such a unappreciative audience. He seems to stare at the small nation but when the frame turns to her, small red arrows flash and point to the edges of her silhouette and the air around her with the explanation [ **Switzerland doesn't really look other nations or people in the eyes. Like ever. In true hermit fashion, he would probably freak out if forced to do so.** ]

"If you find someone who is willing to work with you I won't do anything to stop it."

"Great" she says and after a pause continues hopeful: "Say, if you're so worried on how this will affect humanity why don't you talk to your brothers. They may stop if you persuade them."

This startles Switzerland. His wide-open eyes start frantically moving in all directions as if looking for a way out. "That is impossible" he finally collects himself "All major nations have their stakes in it. To back out now would mean to lose face. I'm just happy my neutrality was allowed."

"It was worth a shot" Serbia quietly says to herself and moves towards the door.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry" he adds.

The frame is set with us seeing Switzerland from behind while Serbia is a little back near the door.

"It's okay. I understand. And they understand too" she says pointing at the frame with her chin. A large drop of sweat falls from his forehead. "They?!" he asks shook.

"Yes, haven't you noticed" Serbia comes closer and waves in the readers' direction. Switzerland turns pale white and, like an howl, turns his head towards the readers. He is shacking and his face is distorted from fear. "They're actually really nice. Say hi" Serbia says cheerfully. Switzerland screams from the top of his lungs.

Next scene: We see the heavy wooden door of his study. He is still screaming something like "Make them go away! How long have they been there? Do they watch me sleep!" while Serbia is calmly getting out. A guard and a few officials run to see what is happening to their nation.

"Is he alright?" one asks the uniformed anime depiction of a state.

"He'll be fine" she responds. As they burst into the room, Serbia slowly walks down the hall and addresses us again: "Sorry about that. He's just weird like that." She walks off the frame and we are left with an empty corridor with Switzerland still screaming.

 _Dear readers, thank you for stopping by. If you want to contribute to the story being written faster, please visit my Profile page for more information._


	3. Chapter 3

_This chapter is composed of two stories. I will sometimes do this, it doesn't mean the stories are connected. I know they seem in random order but there is a method to my madness. If you want to see how you can help, please visit my Profile page._

 **Fall, year of 1690**

A river of tired people is seen approaching. Some on horses, some on mules, while others walk. Men, women, children as we as infants clinging to their mothers advance slowly but surely to their destination. They hope they will be welcomed there.

Next scene: At the Hapsburg Monarchy's mansion, everyone is busy cleaning. Everyone but the Hapsburg Monarchy who is enjoying some fruit while court musicians perform his favorite melodies. Hungary, who is swiping the leaves, suddenly stops and starts moving towards the south with her ears in full alert.

"What's wrong?" he asks curiously. She shushes him and continues to listen strenuously. Her behavior alerts the others and they all observe her curiously. All of a sudden, she moves towards an open field just on the outskirts of the mansion's garden. The ruffled Hapsburg Monarchy runs after her. The others cautiously follow.

"What's the matter with you running off like-" he stops mid sentence after seeing a large amount of people seeming to be dressed in Turkish fashion.

"Why are you here?" Hungary asks. The Hapsburg Monarchy looks at her irritated: "Let me do the talking" he turns to the strangers and asks the exact same thing.

"I can explain that if I may" a quiet voice is heard from the crowd. The other embodiments, of what will be called nations in a couple of centuries, strain their eyes to find who spoke. The main one assumes that the elderly man with a long beard, black gown and a gold cross around his chest is the leaders since he rode the best horse. That man looks to the side at a seemingly young man who approached the Hapsburg Monarchy. The person is wearing a tattered white shirt and a raunchy brown west. His very short hair is hidden under an oval shaped hat. His pants are full of wholes and he is wearing strange shoes made from leather straps.

The Hapsburg Monarchy frowns at his appearance but at the same time find the person intriguing. His bright eyes were dual colored, brown and green. Despite his clothes, the young man held himself high.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Serbia and these are my people" the tattered nation says with pride and bows. The Hapsburg Monarchy straightens his posture ready to listen.

 **Unspecified part of the 21st century**

We see a beautiful view of Prague from someone's fancy window. Czechia seems grumpy as her assistant, flawlessly dressed, stands behind her with her daily schedule.

"Do I really have to do this every time? Can I just take their money and send them on their way?" she utters.

"Unfortunately no...You are an immoral nation, not a pickpocketer" the assistant replies freely. They both chuckle. "It's only a day tour, you'll be finished by nightfall" he continues.

"I know, I know. It's just that I reeeeeeeeeeeeeally don't feel like doing this particular tour. I have this strange feeling. Not good, or bad... Just weird" she says turning towards the door. Her assistant replies by handing her personal guide flag. She frowns and heads out of the door. The assistant follows.

Next scene: There is a group of people near the entrance of her workplace. From her viewpoint, we see a few elderly Asian couples all dressed in white, a Sheikh with his entourage, as well as a couple of Americans with branded sunglasses and fany packs. All in all, a typical bunch of well-to-do people who could afford to pay the Delux tour package, which included Czechia herself as the tour guide. Her eyes stop and focus on a strange young man in the group. Others blur out and little texts point out his appearance ,"extremely casual clothes", "old black T-shirt with a faded band logo", "small golden cross around the neck", "back hair and beard with a few greys", "balding vertex" and the largest "all in all goofy-looking".

Next scene: We see Czechia and her assistant still near the door. "Who is that messy one over there? Did he pay?" She whispers to him. The assistant checks the list.

"It says here that he was a prince" he says showing her the schedule "They all paid in full, I assure you." She checks it and sees a name written in Cyrillic. Not being able to read it, Czechia sighs. "Keep an eye on him, will you" she says quietly to the assistant while waving to the others. He nods.

"Are we gonna start this tour or what?" an impatient client speaks. Czechia jumps and the background turns bright yellow with sparkles and bubbles flying. The group watches mesmerized. She approaches them graciously and exclaims: "Welcome my dear guests. It is an honor to be your host for today. Are you ready to see Prague?! Let's go!"

Next scene: A montage of a few tourist attractions. We see the attraction as she appears from the left or right pointing at it enthusiastically. "Prague Castle!" "Charles Bridge!" "Černy stuff!" "And many many museums!" and this point the screen is covered with photos of buildings.

Next scene: In the red-light district. The group is scattered. Men look particularly interested while their wives and girlfriends glare at them disapprovingly.

"Feel free to look around and ask if you have any questions" Czechia says smiling. The frame moves and the young man from before is visible again. He seems to be staring at a doorway. "Tesla. Hey, I know him" he points at a plaque "did he live here?" Czechia approaches: "I guess. But only for a year or so." The man smiles and adds: "His father was an Orthodox priest, you know." Czechia makes an angry face and yells: "Really?! We're in the Red-light district and that is what you're interested in!"

Next scene: With her guide flag above her head, Czechia leads the tourists through the crowded streets. "Who is that guy and what does he want?" we hear her inner monologue. The guy in question steps away from the group and points to a hill. "Can we go to that monastery over there?" he asks. Awoken from her thoughts she agrees.

Next scene: We see them entering a beautifully decorated hallway of some sort. "And this is the main entrance. Please feel free to look around. You'll find some extraordinary artifacts from the Baroque period. There is so much history here, art and even a gift shop..." Czechia is cheerful although she secretly follows the young man's every move. He looks around and then strides forward.

"Hey, don't leave the group" she shouts but the man continues determined. She runs, leaving everyone behind. When she catches up to him in one of the chambers, he stands deep in prayer next to a large coffin-like box. Despite looking exactly as he did a moment ago, something about him is different. The goofy facade is replaced with awe inspiring grandeur. They both remain silent while he finishes his prayer.

"So much energy" he mutters staring at the box "I though I would only feel something like this in monasteries back home."

At this point Czechia is completely freaked out: "Who are you? Why did you come?"

"Just a friend of a friend, here to convey a message" his voice calms her down. "Such a pitty for places of worship to be downgraded like this. Being turned int museums. They serve a much higher purpse."

"Huh" she scoffs "I don't know where you come from, but here we realized that religion only causes suffering. It's better to not believe in anything than to be fooled by old men in pointy hats."

"I'm not talking about religion. I'm talking about faith. I'm talking about the spiritual force surrounding us, guiding us to do great things. It should be respected and cherished." He turns to her, his face seems very serious but a strong sense of tranquility still exudes from his entire body. She cannot feel frightened nor feels the need to ask questions. "You used to believe in such things, didn't you?" he says to her. She doesn't reply. The man makes a cross symbol in the air.

"-There she is. I do apologize. Our nation was too eager to present this gem of interior design so she rushed to surprise you. Isn't that right Ms Czechia" the assistant says guiding the group into the room. She blinks, realizes that the man is gone and quickly composes herself. "Of course! Please, come this way" she calls with a fake smile.

Next scene: After the tour ends, she checks the list again. The name written in Cyrillic is not there anymore, leaving only a feeling of confusion to what was this all about.

 _The Patriarch leading the migration in 1690 was Arsenije Crnojević (Арсеније Црнојевић)_


	4. Chapter 4

_If you want to see how you can contribute please visit my Profile page._

 ** _7 (ish?) century AD_**

We see a field covered in tiny flowers. The frame moves up to show serene green hills in the distance.

The narrator begins as we enjoy the view: "It seems appropriate to make this the starting point of the history story line, since right now USA's brain child is trying to regress the Balkans to this period! You'd think that there are world organizations who were created for the purpose of solving such issues. Unfortunately, for some reason, absolutely all of them are too busy arranging who gets the flower pots and who gets the garden gnomes between the EU and UK. Because, priorities!"

The frame freezes. A sound of running and heavy breathing is heard, then a door smashing and finally quiet whispering. The picture of a peaceful looking field is still there. The narrator speaks again: "Mhm, mhm, mhm. Alright… I have just been informed that I should stick to the script and if you are interested in current affairs, you should read the Author's notes bellow."

The sound of someone sighing and closing the door is heard. The narrator continues: "The hero, or better yet the heroin, of this story is a slightly mysterious one."

Next scene: We see a curvaceous fair woman slowly walking through the grass. In full screen, the frame moves from her bare feet, to her beautifully decorated white skirt, colorful belt and shirt, long messy braid and stops, showing us her flawless face. Her eyes are light brown and she has a flower wreath on her head. She looks to the left and to the right as if looking for someone.

The narrator speaks throughout the scene: "Who is she you may ask. In this point in history it is very hard to define. What is known for sure is that, some time before, the people group called the Slavs concluded that they are fed-up with getting attacked by Mongols all the time and decided to move. In the process, 3 Slav bodies were created depending on where they wanted to go – East, West and South. This is the representation of the South Slavs and she lead them to the Balkan Peninsula. Let's call her South Slavia, for short."

Next scene: A stringy man with a darker complexion walks towards her winking. He is the representation of the Avar tribes (Avar for short). South Slavia seems displeased. "It's about time you showed up. Where were you?" she frowns.

"Do not do that to your face my dear. It makes you look unattractive" he says bluntly. "I was busy gaining territory in the North. Very soon everyone will hear about the great Avar Empire" he says with confidence.

South Slavia rolls her eyes. "Well it's a good thing you're here. There is a party today. We are celebrating one of the little one's creation." She takes him by the hand and leads him to an open area with tables, roasted beasts and musicians. A group of others like them are drinking, dancing and having fun. Some of them are dressed differently, some are younger, some are older, but they have no problem communicating and living with each other (there is an occasional brawl here and there but please remember that these were rough times). The younger ones are playing conquerer-and-villager. Among the children running around, a small cute girl with straight brown hair and bangs is chasing others while holding a wooden stick above her head. She stops mid-scream and we see her little face clearly. She looks a lot like Slavia although her complexion is slightly darker. A flower wreath nearly falls over her wide open eyes, who are part green part brown.

Avar spots her and smiles. She runs to him screaming with glee. He takes her in his arms and looks inquisitively at South Slavia. A bit irritated, she whispers: "Rashka (Рашка)".

"Why hello there Rashka. And how is my favorite girl?" he says.

"Great. I got a lot of presents. Did you bring me a present too?" she asks with her high-pitched voice.

A big drop of sweat falls from Avar's forehead: "Of course my dear...But you will have to close your eyes first." He puts her down and, as she keeps her tiny hands on her eyes, he frantically searches the ground.

We now only see Rashka and hear Avar speaking: "You can open them now" he adds while his hand presents her with a pebble. The frame turns to South Slavia whose temple vane is pulsating to the point of bursting. Rashka looks at the pebble and then Avar confused.

"It is not just an ordinary rock, you see. It is magical. Because of it, you will be able to throw with incredible precision" he explains while Slavia scoffs in the back. The expression on Rashka's small face changes to sheer excitement as he puts her stick in the ground and instructs her on how to aim.

Next scene: South Slavia turns towards the guests. From her view, we see the Illyrian, Celtic, Bulgar and other tribe representations as well as many children of which only a few will survive to become Bulgaria, Hercegovina and Montenegro. At the far end, isolated from the others, stands a very old woman covered from head to toe in black robes.

"Lepenski Vir? What is she doing here?" we hear South Slavia's thoughts still looking from her perspective. The dark figure slowly approaches with a staff in hand. Her back is slouched so much that she has to tilt her head back in order to see where she is going. Her face is covered by the shadow of her robe.

"I hope she is not here to curse the little ones. Is she good or bad? I can't really tell. Still, she must be really something surviving in this region for so long."

"You are making that face again" Avar's voice interrupts her thoughts.

Next scene: Avar is standing next to South Slavia whose eyes are beaming red wavy lines, her expression resembling the one of a serial killer. She puffs a sigh and slouches: "I can't help it. I always look like that when I'm deep in thought."

Lepenski Vir points to Rashka with her extremely wrinkled hands and gestures her to come closer. Other adults gather near them. The little girl hops towards the old woman to the dissatisfaction of her blond protector. The old woman puts her hand back into her robe and pulls out a red apple. She gives it to the little girl and urges her to taste it.

"Rash-" Slavia yells before the other adults stop her. "Don't worry, she won't be hurt" Celt expains "she's giving her a gift."

"We're very lucky to witness this" Illyiran adds "she usually stays hidden."

The little girl takes the apple, says thank you and takes a big bite. The masked figure nodes and slowly begins to move away from the crowd. Rashka turns towards the adults who are looking at her bewildered. "What?" she says and continues to eat the fruit.

 ** _Modern times – very current_**

We see a flat ground with a few strips of grass. On it is a poorly made shack. The boards are placed wide apart so the inside is very visible in some parts. The little Kosovo* emerges and exclaims proudly: "Finally, I have my own place!" A few planks fall off the shack. He quickly moves putting them back.

The house on that piece of land is Serbia's. She is in the kitchen and sees Kosovo* from the window. "What are you doing over there?" she asks taking something out of the oven. Kosovo* hums while hammering at the boards. A nice sweet smell hits his nostrils and he turns towards the house. "What's that?" he asks.

"Oh, this...It's American apple pie. I felt like making something different today" she says putting it on the window sill. She then takes a plate and puts one piece on it. "Would you like some?"

The little boy nods while his mouth waters. He raises his arms and like a zombie comes closer. Almost reaching the plate, he quickly grabs the rest of the pie and runs away laughing.

"Are you serious?!" Serbia yells as he hides in his shed.

Next scene: She goes out to Kosovo* who is trying to build a fence out of some pipes. "At least give me back my tray" she says watching him.

"Can't you see I'm busy" he says digging the soil for the fence. Serbia looks around. Despite the shacks appearance, there is electricity, TV and hot water. She notices that the cords are connected to her electrical installations. "Is that mine?...Are you stealing my power?! No wonder the bill is so high" she gets a protruding vein on her neck.

Kosovo* doesn't answer. He whistles while continuing to dig.

"What is all the commotion?" Albania asks getting out of her house and resting her hands on the fence. "Are you harassing my little boy again?!" she exclaims angry.

"Your little boy is a kleptomaniac and a brut" Serbia turns to her with her hands on her hips. Kosovo* puts his tongue out and digs further.

Albania looks at him and then at her again. "Well, if you were nicer to him, maybe he would treat you better" she says calmly. Serbia tries to compose herself. There is a loud cling sound.

"I found something? This is perfect for a door" Kosovo* says excited, pulling out a large metal shell that has a wavy green glow. It appeared to be a part of a cylindrical construction and had a sign which says _Made in the US_. The two female nations take a step back.

"Uhm, KiM that's probably a bomb from the 1999 bombings. It is extremely likely that it's hazardous. Why don't you give it to me and I'll dispose of it properly" Serbia says with her voice shaking.

He just looks at her with content and tries to mount it on a pole. Albania continues to watch. Serbia shakes her head tired.

Next scene: We only see the two females."Boys will be boys" her neighbour says. Serbia answers: "He used to be a lot nicer, when my people were part of him. They still are, you know. It's just that they don't get a say in the matter."

Albania wrinkles her nose scornfully. "If you ask me, the biggest problem in West Balkans is you."

"Of yeah, is that what your _friends_ say" Serbia retorts. They stare quietly at each other. A quick scene of Kosovo* who looks at his hands. They have turned red and start to itch.

"You're the one that has been holding him back" Albania starts. "You say bad things about him all the time and he can't get accepted anywhere because of that. It's because of you the whole world thinks we are in eternal war" Albania says scornfully.

Serbia makes a face and puts two fingers on her nose bridge: "The reason there are so many tensions, is because your friends and benefactors want chaos here."

Albania scoffs. "You are just jealous because they are helping us and not you. Once I gain weight, I will flourish and you can't stand that!"

Kosovo* is heard in the background: "On second thought, I'm gonna put this back."

Serbia bites her tongue and after some pondering continues: "I hate to break this to you but gaining weight will bring you nothing. You hold the entrance to the Adriatic sea, for Heaven's sakes. That should be more than enough to help you thrive. Why don't you ask your friends to, instead of weapons, send you tourists."

Albania looks away and folds her arms. "I don't like where this conversation is going. I have better things to do than argue with you."

"Fine. Me too. In fact, I have a meeting with China, I should prepare for" Serbia adds leaving. Albania's cheeks blush. "Tell him I said hi" she yells after her.

Serbia turns: "Are you sure your benefactors will like that?" Albania turns her head pouting. With her nose held up, Serbia continues walking. As she passes Kosovo* she feels something hit her. It was a flaming box of her favourite biscuits Plazma. The little boy hides his giggle with his now pulsating red hands. She frowns and stomps away furious.

Next scene: The inside of Albania's study room. It is a decent room, nicely decorated, although some of the furniture seems old. She sits on a desk next to which is a large bookshelf. In front of her is one of her self-help books called _How to Gain Power Fast_. It is open on the page with the title _Being Assertive_. She is calling someone on her latest iPhone.

Next scene: The frame shows a delicate porcelain tea cup on a desk. There are a few shapes there but we can't see them. Only an arm in a plain suit is seen clearly. A phone rings and that person answers.

"This is not the best time. I'm in a meeting" is heard while the hand mixes the tea with a spoon.

Albania's voice is heard: "I'll be quick. It's about Serbia. I don't think-"

"Has she threatened you in any way?"

"Well? Not really."

"And what about the boy?"

"She yells at him and says mean things about him."

Next scene: In Albania's study. "That is not enough. Tell him to be more aggressive. We need her to crack. It is only then we can get rid of her once and for all" the voice is heard from the phone.

Albania looks hesitant. "Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, is another war really necessary? People still didn't recover from the last one."

"Do not worry yourself too much. Once we get rid of her, you will get everything you ever wanted."

Next scene: The tea cup again. It is being lifted slowly. "That is what I was told the last time. And it didn't work" Albania's voice is heard from the phone.

"Well, perhaps you didn't work hard enough on it. Put your back into it next time and it will" the person with the cup speaks.

"One more question...If you bomb here again, will you use the same bombs?" Albania asks.

The person's hand stops with the cup in mid air. "That is not your concern. Instead of worrying about stupid things, why don't you focus on what you will gain from it. Goodbye" he says and hangs up.

Next scene: Albania puts the phone down and sighs. Kosovo* is there with her, putting herbs on his sores. It's not just his hands, he has sores and blisters on other parts of his body too. She scratches her temple and looks at that spot in the mirror. Moving her soft reddish hair, we see a big red spot on her skin.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Very current_**

A nice house with a beautiful garden. Serbia looks through her window to the make-shift fence Kosovo* put together. The small dark-haired boy was putting up a poster with the words 'The tariffs for Serbian and BiH products are going to be raised a 100% from now on'.

Serbia reads it and yells furious: "You can't be serious. It was 10% yesterday?!"

Like a cartoon cat, Kosovo* arches up shouting: "Shut up! This is what you get for not letting me join Interpol."

"What you are doing now is very stupid and dangerous. No one is going to support you on it. Throw away that poster immediately" she says strict.

"No! My allies won't let such a meanie boss me around" he continues.

"Ha! Fine then. I'll go sort this out right now" she snickers getting her coat. "You really have taken this too far. I mean taking a stab at free trade...Regimes were toppled for even thinking about it; entire nations starved to death, countries...no...whole continents decimated in the name of free trade and you think you can toss it away just like that? When I tell the world about this, you will take it back as soon as tomorrow."

The boy observes her leave confident: "Go ahead. I will be right here with my nice big poster."

Next scene: The official EU office. Full screen of Serbia's face being dumbfounded. "You have to be kidding me?! It's been almost a year" she exclaims.

"Unfortunately, we tried everything we could. He didn't respond to our demands and blatantly ignored our advice" Germany says with his hands intertwined on his chest.

"So what, you are going to let him break all the rules just like that" she continues.

"You have to understand Serbia, he is still a young country, he is bound to make some mistakes" France says with his arms folded.

"He is not a country. Half of the world doesn't recognize him!"

"And whose fault is that?" Britain looks at her inquisitively.

Serbia begins to develop a headache. "Do you know all the illegal things he did since all of this started? His police forcefully entered homes without warrants and arrested Serbs on multiple occasions..."

Germany rolls his eyes.

"...He formed an army which is against every document we ever signed..."

France sighs and looks away.

"...He harasses my people every chance he gets and has smuggled in American weapons from Albania. Even a blind man can see that he wants to start a conflict. Isn't that enough for you to do something!?" she states loosing her composure. The three remain silent.

"Look", she sighs "All of this started when you refused to give him visa-free entry into the Shengen area. Why don't you give him that in exchange of suspending the tariffs."

Britain snorts with disdain: "He put them on your products. Not ours."

Serbia can't take it anymore. After taking a deep breath she says: "You know what! I have never witnessed such incompetence in my life. You do not have the mental capacity to make the decisions outside the EU!"

"The same you keep insisting on joining?" Germany arrogantly interrupts.

"I'm actually leaving the EU" Britain states.

France nods and addresses him: "Then why are you still here?"

Britain looks at him confused: "What do you mean? It's obvious you need my expertise in solving this issue" he says conspicuously waving his arm in Serbia's direction.

She stands silently and adds with an irritated giggle: "I hope to God that soon more capable people come and all you are left deciding on is how to trim the rosebushes in your over-stylized gardens."

"Is that everything" Germany says coldly. She nods. "Then please leave because we have more important matters to discuss."

Without a word, she trots towards the door. We see the three at their desk as the door slams.

 ** _ _And now for a quick preview :)__**

The narrator speaks while pictures of a prestigious looking old building switch on the screen: "World Academy W, a place where countries live a student life. Let's see what they're up to."

Next scene: A small classroom. On the left, a row of tall windows with velvet curtains obstructing the light from the outside. Only a few late afternoon rays of sun manage to come through. On the right stacks and stacks of chairs cover the millwork walls. As the frame moves we only see 2 students: Ivan and Iryna. Even though the room is empty, they sit at the same desk seeming extremely uncomfortable.

We see them upclose. At this small desk the two keep their distance. A difficult task if you consider Ivan's strong built and Iryna's plump...upper torso area.

She is completely silent, sitting perfectly still with folded arms. It is quite obvious she is sulking. Ivan is looking to the side. There is an awkward silence.

"It seems we are the first one's here" Ivan says turning to his big sister. Iryna inhales air through her nostrils not saying a word. Ivan sighs and fold his arms sad. A pencil from her side starts rolling off the desk.

The pencil, seen in full view, is caught by Ivan before falling to the floor. He turns to her holding it.

He starts: "Is this yours-"

"QUIT TOUCHING MY STUFF!" Iryna screams waving her arms frantically.

"Why can't we talk like normal people anymore?" Ivan cries putting his hands in a defensive position.

 _ _This is all for now. To my readers, I plan to do two more stories before the year is over. Take care.__


	6. Chapter 6

__For the Academy section, I will use Hetalia character's human names. The name of my OC is Yasna Petrović (Јасна Петровић) just because I like that name. I know the story line seems all over the place but, trust me, it will take shape very soon.__

 _ ** _11-ish century (Montenegro's defenses)_**_

"Zeta, where are you?" Rashka calls out for her older brother. She's a little older now but still cute as a button. We see her in the field while a large barren mountain is seen in front to the left. A small prepubesent boy sits on it in the shade and covered with a cloak.

Next scene: Rashka is seen waving her stick playfully. "Come out and play" she shouts into the ether. "Zetaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Next scene: The mountain is visible again. The eyes of the covered-up boy flame enraged. "Zeta, let's play!" the girl repeats.

"Don't call me that!" the boy finally speaks. Rashka looks up turning in the direction of the voice. "Why not?" she asks.

"Because it sounds like a girl's name, that's why" he adds sadly and buries his black-haired head into his arms.

"Well, how should I call you?"

"I don't know. Maybe something macho. Something that emphasizes my masculinity and sturdiness" he replies enthusiastically.

"Okay then...When you decide tell me...So you wanna play conqueror-and-villager? I'll be the conqueror first" Rashka announces. She takes Zeta's mumbling as a yes.

"Great. I'll start. Grrrr…I'm a big bad conqueror! I shall take your food and gold with my stick and my magical rock..." she starts, making her voice deep. For a moment everything is silent. We see the mountain top from Rashka's perspective. All of the sudden, a bunch of rocks start falling towards her. She dodges most of them, but not all as the rocks keep coming in greater numbers. "Ouch!" she screams protecting her head with her hands "Quit it! I don't want to play anymore." The rocks stop falling immediately.

With her pride hurt, she crosses her arms and pouts. "I didn't want to play with you anyway. Goodbye" she says and turns her back dramatically.

 _ ** _World Academy W - unspecified time, presumably modern_**_

The narrator speaks while pictures of a prestigious looking old building and students in uniforms switch on the screen: "World Academy W, a place where countries live a student life. Let's see what they're up to"

Next scene: A blackboard with a few stick people with swords, shields and capes are seen on one side and a whole army or stick men on the other. The generic history teacher appears.

"And there they were. A small but fierce group of 300 Spartan warriors fighting a far superior Persian army..." he says with zest. He is interrupted by a quiet female voice: "Yawn. Been there, done that." A few students chuckle.

"Is there a problem, Ms. Petrović?" the teacher asks.

Yasna is a little stunned. She only meant to whisper that remark to her nearest classmate. "Yes, sir." she utters.

"Would you like to tell us what happened next?" the teacher continues looking straight at her.

She stands up, adjusts her skirt, and starts: "The Spartans manage to hold the army for 3 days using their surroundings and good military tactics."

"Good. And what happened then?" he continues.

Yasna stares annoyed at him for a brief second and replies confidentially: "With all due respect, aren't you supposed to tell us that, Sir? It's your job to teach us these things after all."

The class roars astonished. Completely red from anger, the teacher bellows at her to go to the principal's office right away which she complies with.

Next scene: At the lockers. Yasna is standing next to Dafina whose bowed head has 3 black wavy lines are above it.

"So, the principal told me I had to apologize to that old geezer. Why? For telling the truth?" she vents to her friend who isn't really listening. "What's wrong with you?" Yasna finally notices Dafina's poor state.

"I have a splitting headache" she moans.

"Oh… Do you need me to take you to the nurse's office?" Yasna offers.

Next scene: The two girls walk beside one another in the school hallway. Yasna is much taller than Dafina who slouches holding her head with both hands. Yasna hold her books in her arms.

"I wonder what happened to the Persians" Yasna says deep in thought. "I mean, we only learn about them in the form of invaders but never talk about their history. What's that all about?"

Her companion mumbles something like: "I can barely walk, let alone think." They reach the office and Dafina rushes in.

Still deep in thought, Yasna makes a few steps only to bump into a fellow classmate.

"Sorry Jakub, didn't see you there" she says apologetically. "It's okay" he says putting his hand on the back f his head "Hey, what you did in class was amazing. You really told him off."

Yasna laughs flattered.

Next scene: The university park. A beautifully arranged green area, with a lot of tall trees. The day is warm and sunny. Many students are in there after-school clubs so the park is almost empty. Jakub and Yasna walk and sit on one of the benches.

"Mr. Petrović if you don't take your studies seriously your grades are going to slip again. Why can't you be like all the other student and save your rebellious remarks for after school. Perhaps join a club or two" she imitates the nasal voice of the principle. They both chuckle.

"So what are you gonna do now?" he asks her.

She puts her finger on her temple "I don't know. Hmm, it's not such a bad idea but I wouldn't know which one to join."

"A sports club...maybe tennis..."

"Nah, too obvious" she puffs and arches her head back "Hey, what about you. Are you a member of any clubs?"

"Well, yes and no" he sounds a bit nervous. "What do you mean?" Yasna raises her eyebrow.

"Well" he says tapping the back of his head "I am a member of the ski club but I rarely go."

"Don't they notice you're missing?"

"Not exactly" he says with an enigmatic smile.

Next scene: At that very moment Basch in full ski gear stands in front of a black board with a dashboard. "Alright is everyone here?" he asks. From his perspective we see most of the Nordic countries, Mattew and Jasmina (Marocco) for some reason. At the right next to the window we see a not-very convincing cardboard cutout of Jakub wearing a ski jacket, hat and glasses. The frame stays on the cutout while Basch announces: "Good. We can start now."

Next scene: Back at the park. The two of them are in frame. "It's a bit boring when you only talk about skiing" he adds. The weather is so nice. Birds are singing and a pleasant wind blows.

"Hmm...well, I'm definitely stuck. I'll think about clubs tomorrow. What do you wanna do now" she asks. He ponders for a bit with his index finger on his chin and then he has a thought. He leans in all excited and says: "The floor is lava."

Yasna smiles excited and they both put their feet up on the bench.

 _Sorry for so many corrections, I wrote this in a hurry._


	7. Chapter 7

__9-ish century AD__

Light blue background. A small hand with fur sleeves raises. "Who gave us our names?" a child voice speaks.

"That is a very good question Travunia" South Slavia answers. She is standing in a meadow while a group of children of various complexions and hair and eye color sit around her in a semi-circle. They all resemble her in some degree.

"Some of you received your names from your bosses. Those are the humans that boss their people around, hence the name. Some of you received the names from the tribes you represent but for now most of you are named after the region your people inhabit" she explains.

Another hand flies up. "Who are our people?" young Bulgaria asks.

"Well" she starts while a drop of sweat is seen on her forehead "those are the humans that live in your region."

A question mark appears above the heads of all the children. "It's complicated I know" she says with a nervous smile.

"Are we're supposed to listen to our humans or are they supposed to listen to us?" Rashka raises her hand.

"It is recommended that you listen to them but that may be a problem when you have a large group on your hand. Humans can have extremely different opinions on how you should act. Trying to please everyone can only lead to you ripping yourself apart. Literally."

"So who do we listen to then?" Drim seems confused.

"A safe bet would be to listen to your bosses but only if he/she works in the interest of the humans. If not then listen to the group who's the loudest and fights well."

"But-" another child raises his hand before South Slavia interrupts: "Look, I know this is all very confusing but please have this in mind. Most of your are very young. A hundred to two hundred years old. That's nothing to us but during that time four to five generations of humans are born and die. This is our advantage. We live much much longer and during our time on this earth we will witness a lot of things and will comprehend more than any single human ever will. It is very important for you to remember everything that happens to you, contemplate on it, look at the patterns and examine how it affects you and your people. For example, what soil is best for what crops, who are your allies, who are your enemies and who are your frenemies, how society should be organized etc. Through time, this will make you wiser and help you find solutions to problems you will face. Does that make sense?"

The little heads bob up and down, except Bulgaria's which goes left to right. Vlach lifts his hand. "How were we created? Did we come out of your belly?"

This question completely baffles South Slavia. Rashka continues: "I saw a human couple go into the bushes and very soon the female grew a big belly and pooped out a baby. Did that happen to us too?" the child asks a now very pale Slavia.

"I don't want to be pooped out. Gros!" Naissus cries. All of the numerous little ones start to chatter.

"That's not how it happened! I mean sure we have the parts but that's not how..." Slavia frantically shakes her hands. She looks to the side and sees the adults setting up the table to eat. "The lesson's over. It's lunch time" she yells relieved.

Next scene: Everyone is minding their own business Chopping wood, plowing, washing clothes. The children are picking fruits or mock fighting. Bulgar is grooming his protege. A figure comes from the south. He is fair with Slavic features and green eyes. He has a very nice gold embroider coat and shiny weapons that clank as he approaches. His confident strut alerts the others.

"Just look at that little show off. What's he doing here?" Avar says mockingly to South Slavia who is deep in thought. "What's wrong with you?" he asks after not getting a reply.

She sighs appearing more anxious. Children run to greet the visitor cheerfully screaming. He smiles and gives them some sweet figs and grapes. Avar stares at Slavia awaiting an answer. "Srb works for the East Roman Empire now, as her guard. Which means she must be nearby" she utters nervously biting her fingernails.

"Since when? How come I didn't know about this? And why are the children so fond of him?!" he plays it cool but the level of irritability raises more and more with every question.

"You would've been informed if you were her and not parading all across eastern Europe!" she turns to him angry.

"I knew you were going to bring that up!" he yells.

"You left me here to deal with a pissed-off super power alone! She had no trust in me and who could blame her after all those sieges we did. Srb managed to calm her down and let us stay here in piece."

"And how did he do that?" he continues.

"I don't know. It's not like I keep a record of these things!" Slavia crosses her arms pouting.

Mad as a hornet but completely still, Avar's stare seems to pierce inside her skull. Luckily, the visitor approaches and greets them both with a smile. Avar frowns. Bulgar shows up holding little Bulgaria tight by the shoulders.

"Ah you two and your heartwarming welcomes" Srb says to Avar and Bulgar who are both grim as a tombstone. The visitor looks down and sees little Bulgaria. "Is this one your favorite?" he asks Bulgar and continues "Nice to meet you little bro. Hope you make it." The boy snarls at him.

Srb turns to Slavia: "She'll be here very soon. You should hurry if you want to have that talk."

She shakes her head in silence and walks away.

"What talk?! You do not tell me anything anymore!" Avar shouts at Slavia who is already far away.

"Calm down, it's just girl talk" she says calmly as we see her moving out of frame. Avar is now visibly furious. Like salt to the wound, Srb leans in and says: "Though luck bro, looks like you lost your influence over her."

The focus changes to south Slavia. As she moves forward the miniature Avar stumps his feet and shakes his fists in rage, bellowing insults which we can't hear because he is too far away.

Next scene: The very same place where they had the class. This time only girls are present. Rashka, Travunia and Naissus as a few others all have boy's clothes on and their hair is tied tight. They listen to South Slavia very carefully.

"So you see. That is the reason you cannot tell anyone you are females" she says in a solemn voice. "The world...the world isn't very kind to us" her voice quivers. A single tear falls on her cheek. With a deep sigh she continues: "Others more aggressive, craving for a conquest, can hurt you in ways you can't even imagine. That is why you have to keep it a secret. Do you understand?"

The girls quietly nod.

"Good" she says with a sad smile. "Now, come with me. We have an important guest."

Next scene: A golden traveling carriage adorned with intricate details is being carried by four white horses. About a dozen adults and twice as many little ones await it. As the carriage stops, a slim female hand pushes the heavy curtains and exits. The little ones look at her impressed.

The frame slowly moves from the guests feet towards her head as we listen to the narrator speak. We can clearly see her sandals, richly patterned silk dress, many jewels, gold coins and other decorations. She has flawless olive skin, silky chestnut hair fashioned in a complicated headdress and the appearance of a very capable ruler. The narrator says: "As if history was not hard enough, some busybodies decided to name some countries differently than they actually called themselves. This is one of those examples."

As the narrator finishes the frame stops showing the head of the regal person with the name Byzantium above it. The narrator continues:"Don't tell her okay. It's better for us if she doesn't find out."

Byzantium __(as I will call her from now on)__ is greeted with a traditional tray of bread and salt brought over by one of the children.

"Thank you" she strokes the child's head and looks for South Slavia. "I can't stay for long. I have some internal issues that demand my immediate attention. Are they ready for the trip?" Slavia shakes her head slowly and helps the little ones climb into the carrier.

"Zeta, Bulgaria, are you coming too? It will be very educational for you" Byzantium asks the remaining boys. Zeta reluctantly climbs in while Bulgaria is harder to persuade. "Go, learn, memorize everything and return to make our empire even stronger" Bulgar whispers to him. As soon as everyone boards, the horses start to gallop. The adults wave goodbye. They are all on the verge of tears. South Slavia starts sobbing. Lepenski Vir observes everything from a hill.

Next scene: The interior of the carrier is just as gorgeous as its exterior. All of the little ones gawk with mouths wide open. Srb sits next to Byzantium while the children sit on the opposite seat. Rashka moves the curtain and sees Lepenski Vir. The cloaked figure waves. Rashka smiles and closes the curtain. The ancient figure's head bows.

"You will continue your education in my house. Don't worry I plan to take very good care of you" Byzantium assures the children. Incredibly curious, Rashka asks about the symbol of a two-headed eagle on their new protector's ring. "You will learn all about it when we arrive. That reminds me, I have something for all of you" she exclaims.

"Is it gold, solver, jewels?" they guess excitedly. "Something much more valuable" Byzantium smiles enigmatically and takes out thin metal crosses. She gives them to the confused children. The carrier rushes of the frame following a cobblestone road.

 _ _So this is all for this year.__ ** _ **Happy New Year everyone!**_** _ _Can't wait for the next one. It's gonna be off the top.__


	8. Preview

Hetalia intro. A chibby Serbia in modern clothes jumps out smiling. "Hey, a new year is here, and with it many more new stories." She leans forward whispering to the readers. "Here is a short preview of what's to come." She moves back and with her arms spread shouts: "Cue the drama!"

Next scene: Pre WW1 period. Serbia clutches her fist in Austria's study room. The frame quickly changes.

Next scene: Now, it's a bar, modern times. She is talking to Israel there. "Palestine is actually a really nice guy. I think you two could actually make it work." Serbia says. Isreal smiles unconvinced.

Next scene: Iryna stands in the school's hallway, looking angry with her arms folded. "Why are you like this? I though you were my friend too?" she criticizes confused Yasna.

Next scene: WW1. Britain and France drink alone in a gorgeously decorated ball room. They cling their glasses.

Next scene: WW2. A maid with brown hair and a slender figure looks inquisitively at Serbia whose face is emotionless. "I need you to do something for me" Serbia says looking out of the window.

Next scene: pre WW1. Prussia teases Austria while young Germany plays with toy soldiers.

Next scene: Modern times. "Is that my cable!" Serbia asks a boy representing *Kosovo.

Next scene: A scene of maps being ripped off.

Next scene: A battle in medieval times. Knights against the Ottomans.

Next scene: Hallways of Versailles filled with nations.

Next scene: A jumble of frames that pass too quickly for us to see.

Next scene: WW1. Serbia looking sickly, with her uniform torn and dirty walks slowly along an icy mountain path. Her cold breath is heard while the frame becomes darker and darker.

Last scene: Young America looking amazed says: "Whoa!"

 _ **Author's notes:** All of this mess will make sense in context. Please don't make hasty conclusions and, of course, don't believe it blindly._


	9. Chapter 8

__World Academy W - unspecified time, presumably modern__

The quiet park from the previous episode. The only noise is the crackle of branches as Jakub swings from one bench to a memorial rock statue. "Hurry up, ok?" he says visibly giddy. Yasna follows him taking extra care that her uniform stays in place. "This is very difficult to do in a skirt, you know" she says tugging its ends while moving from one high place to another. "First one to the school rooftop wins" he replies jumping left and right. Yasna manages to reach a top of the bench when she sees that Jakub is very far ahead. She makes a face, thinking of a strategy. A light-bulb appears as she looks at a tall birch.

Next scene: She is on one of the branches swinging the tree as much as she can. After a few swings she launches herself at a semi-opened school window.

Next scene: Arthur stands in front of a blackboard explaining something in a good mood. There is a 'tump' sound as he turns towards the window and jumps back startled. Yasna's full body is pressed against the glass. She waves innocently.

Next scene: Yasna has entered the classroom. "How in the world did you manage to body slam a second-floor window?!" Arthur is still recovering from the shock.

"Oh, it's a long story" she looks around the classroom. It is filled to the brim with students. There are 5 to 6 of them sharing a small two-people desk. "What's happening here?" she asks intrigued.

"Language club" a voice is heard from the mass. "Cool, hey can I join?" she asks looking at Arthur who grabs the rim of his nose.

"As you can see we are quite full" he says.

"You took three new members just yesterday" Ivan says. He is sitting next to Iryna, Natalya sits beside him clearly enjoying his proximity. Iryna is there to pouting.

"There is no need for you, we already have Enis" Arthur points to him. "You're languages are practically the same."

"Then why is Alfred here?!" Yasna points to a desk which Alfred enjoys by himself.

"I need to be here?" Alfred says taking up a cool pose "What if someone is in a desperate need of democracy. I'm the hero. It's my job to save the day."

"You liar!" Claudia Tachirá screams from a desk that is so packed it looks like a human pyramid. "Stop meddling in other peoples affairs, you hear!" Alfred ignores her taking a nap while his feet occupy the other part of the desk.

Yasna looks at Enis irritated: "Oh now Bosnian and Serbian are the same, are they?!"

"What's with all the labels? I don't say Bosnian or Croatian or Serbian. I simply say 'our' language?" Enis speaks making a heart with his hands while the background turns sparkly.

Yasna groans. "If I show you what makes my language special will you let me join? It will only take a few minutes."

"I'm sorry but the... Arthur starts before he is interrupted by someone yelling "Sure!". It was Wang Yao who is sitting next to Wang Jia Long "I don't see why not. Better that then to listen to the differences between 'conscious' and 'conscience' again.

"Great!" she sells before Arthur can object and grabs the chalk before standing in front of the board.

"Does any of you know how many sounds it takes to form all of the words in your language?" she starts, looking at the class. Most of them shrug. "It may seem weird to ask such a question, right? We use letters to form words not sounds, some of you may say" she turns to the board and starts writing. "But the truth is there is a determined number of sounds which make up a language. Mine has 30 and that's the exact number of letters I have. Meaning every letter is a specific sound also known as a phoneme." On the board we see that she has written a Cyrillic alphabet. "I also use the Latin script which is not as perfect, but this one came first and it was created by a Serbian man called Vuk Karadžić (Вук Караџић), the later was created by a foreigner. Unlike Bosnians and Croatians, only I use the Cyrillic alphabet which makes it unique and the most perfected phonemic writting script in the world."

Some students raise their eyebrows. "Hey, I have something similar" says Im Yong Soo, sharing a desk with his brother.

"That's right. Rarely few languages use the phonemic alphabet as their writing script which I don't really understand. Having such an alphabet where you have to carefully listen to every sound spoken helped me tremendesly to pick up and pronounce words from other languages more easily. No need for those complicated spelling rules or, in Arthur's case, a whole bunch of conflicting rules you can't even keep track of" Yasna says throwing the chalk which hits the wall, flips and lands perfectly in its spot.

Arthur, who had his hands folded the whole time, turns his head ignoring the remark. A commotion starts. We only see Arthur with the wall as his background seeming displeased.

"I really had no idea such a thing exists" one student is heard.

"I think this is proof enough you can stay" another adds.

"Wow! How interesting!" is heard next.

"Alright, let's put it to a vote. Who thinks she should stay?" Arthur says annoyed.

"WE DO!" the invisible crowd cheers. Discouraged, he announces: "Fine, you can stay. Find a place and sit down."

Filled with glee, Yasna claps her hands. "Come Yasna you can sit between us" Ivan offers showing the space between him and Iryna to which Iryna pouts and dramatically turns her head. "Uhm, maybe I can just stand next to you for now" Yasna says politely with a big drop of sweat falling from her head. She comes closer and notices how unhappy Iryna looks.

"What's up with her?" she asks Ivan. He sighs: "She's been like this ever since she got the possibility of an offer to sit on the west side of the cafeteria. How is that working out for you by the way?"

"You are so mean. I deserve much better than you could ever offer and I will have it as soon as you are out off my life" Iryna says smiling arrogantly.

"Oh come on Iryna, you can't really be that naive, can you?" Yasna says in disbelief. Iryna looks at her with content and turns her head away.

Next scene: Jakub shows up at the same window as before. "What's happening here?" he asks Arthur who is startled for the second time that day. "How can I run a language club if people constantly barge in. Haven't you heard of a door?" Arthur yells cleaning the board.

Jakub looks around and asks: "Can I join?"

"Why not. Grab a chair and find a suitable spot" he replies not even looking.

Next scene: Dafina and Yasna are going to class.

"So that was my day. How's your headache?" Yasna asks.

"Bad. The doctor told me that, if it continues, he may need to scoop out a part of my brain" Dafina replied.

"Isn't that the same doctor who told me to lose weight. What a quack! Someone should definetly check where he got his medical degree."

The two girls walk slowly through the corridor. Entering the class, Dafina adds: "Maybe I'll join that club too."

 _And that's all for now. Hope you enjoyed it. Review it if you want and all that stuff._


	10. Chapter 9

__A quick warning, you may find the language in the first story to offensive. I do this to convey how people thought back then because it is very important to understand the people's mindset then. I'll try to tone it down but sometimes it will be absolutely necessary for me to emphasize this bad aspect of human nature. Oh and the second story is not connected in any way, it's just short so I attached it. Please enjoy__ _ _and Happy Valentine's day!__

 ** **Fall, year of 1690****

Evening of that very same day. A lavish small dinning room located just above the more spacious human one. Like their human counterparts, the Hapsburg gang is getting to know the newcomer. The Hapsburg Monarchy sits at the dinning table with the guest discussing the current situation. Others are mostly waiting on them.

"Ottoman didn't lie. You have a very beautiful home. Such intricate design" Serbia spoke observing the room. Still in male rags, she gingerly strokes the fine linen. Her expression becomes sad and nostalgic.

Hapsburg is slightly leaned back in his chair as he waits for his drink. "This is only a small part of the splendor. We hold to high standards in this monarchy. Something you will see if you are allowed to stay" he says arrogantly taking a glass of wine from a silver tray.

Serbia looks at him nervously smiling. She quickly grabs her glass and declares a toast: "I'm sure our wise leaders will find a solution good for the both of us. Let us drink to happy beginnings. Cheers!" As she moves the glass closer, she looks straight into the Hapsburg Monarchy's eyes. An act which he finds extremely creepy. She keeps eye contact right up to the moment when their glasses meet. She then clangs so hard that wine from both glasses spills a little. Serbia then drinks hers while Hapsburg is left still holding his confused. Hungary chuckles in the back.

"Did I do something wrong?" Serbia turns to her. Hungary covers her mouth but we can still see her chest moving. "No one does that anymore?" she replies. "Does what?" Serbia looks at her confused.

"The glass clinging thing. It's been passe for 4 centuries" Hungary continues. Hapsburg sips his wine relieved.

"Well, I think it's pretty neat. It's part of my heritage" Serbia says slightly defensive.

"Serbia, about your heritage. I don't mean to offend, but are you sure you are what you say you are?" Hapsburg asks.

"What do you mean by that? I know my history. I'm an Orthodox Christian..." she says.

"Yes, yes. I believe you. But perhaps you've... changed under the Ottoman rule. You are darker than a regular Slav after all."

Serbia puts down the glass, thinks for a second and says calmly: "I may speak a Slavic tongue, but to say that I'm only a Slav is a lie. Many peoples passed the Balkan Peninsula, to pillage and leave or to take over. There are even some whose forefathers, older than the Romans and the Greeks themselves, managed to survive all of that. So rest assured, the Ottomans are ****not**** the reason I tan well." Saying this, she unbuttons her shirt revealing that her collar bone is pretty pale. A keen eye can see a line on the shirt's chest area as if from a tight undergarment.

The Hapsburg Monarchy adjusts his glasses to see better. "It was a scorching summer and there was a lot of hay to be collected for the cattle" Serbia adds.

"I'm afraid that is not one of my expertise. Others mostly take care of the agriculture" he says pointing to a few of them with his glass. Hungary's discrete smirk suggests that she thinks Hapsburg presumes hay magically appeared in his stables which we can vividly see in a thought bubble. "I can't be bothered with such things myself. Not when I'm in charge of growing and empowering my monarchy. You see my dear boy, it's all about strategically placing members of your boss' family in crucial positions of power and making sure that they stay in power indefinitely."

"And how do you do that?" Serbia asks curious. "Basically by marrying off cousins" Bohemia speaks, others quietly giggle. Serbia's face turns pale.

"And they don't turn to stone?"* she whispers shocked. Text appears above her head. The narrator reads it. "If you didn't know by now. Our heroine is slightly superstitious. There is a rock formation called Đavolja Varoš (Ђавоља Варош) in the south of Serbia. According to legend, a wealthy family wanted to marry siblings in order not to divide the family land. They had a wedding there and in that moment the brother and sister with all of the guests were turned to stone by a higher power for trying to do such a horrible thing. Needless to say, Serbia is extremely anti-incest."

Next scene: Some time later, Hungary decides to step out onto the balcony to get some fresh air. She wraps herself in her signature folk scarf. Hapsburg accompanies her very soon, opening the door long enough for us to hear the "And there I was on the battlefield, charging the Ottoman forces..." part of Serbia's story and closing it.

He stands next to Hungary looking at the stars and not saying a word. She turns to him and apologetically says: "I just came out for some..." before she is interrupted: "You don't need to explain yourself. It's not a problem."

She turns to the stars. The night is clear and calm. Only crickets can be heard. The moon is bright. Hapsburg breaks the silence: "So do you believe all of these wild stories? Such a scrawny little guy imagining he's Hercules."

"It's not impossible. I had some encounters with him before" Hungary answers.

"Before. Is that when you pretended to be a boy?" Hapsburg tries to be witty. "Yes" Hungary presses her lips in a fake smile. There is silence again.

"What do you think? Should I let his people stay?" he asks.

"Well... they can be useful" she replies.

"What do you mean?"

"Back in 1456, one of my best military minds, Hunyadi, was defending Belgrade from the Ottoman forces. His army was outnumbered and the siege lead to mass starvation. He then had an idea to ask locals from the nearby villages for help. Serb villages included. They were untrained simple people of the land and yet, with them and the others, the enemy was repelled and the city defended. Even though their representative doesn't seem strong - personally I doubt he is even male – the Serbian people are. If you want my advice, place them on the south boarder and you will have no more problems with Ottoman raiders" Hungary says only quickly glancing at him.

He looks at her. The moonlight shines upon her long silky hair and face. In that moment, the Hapsburg Monarchy smiles and finds it difficult to look away.

 ** **World Academy W – modern times****

Leaving the classroom, Yasna receives a text from Iryna. It says: "Meet me at the lockers after classes. I have something importand to discuss with you. She says and quickly replies back.

Next scene: At the designated spot, Yasna finds Iryna looking angry with her arms folded.

"Sooooo, what did you want to talk to me about?" Yasna says carefully.

"Why are you like this? I thought you were my friend too?" cries Iryna obviously tense.

Yasna stands confused for a second. As she opens her mouth, they hear a noise from the other side of the hallway. It was Claudia screaming at Alfred who seems pretty chill.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING! First you try to change my boss without my consent and now you send me aid. How about unblocking my bank accounts! That would aid me a lot!" she yells with an enormous vain pulsating on her head.

"Why are you so tense. It's not my problem you're a complete mess" Alfred says condescendingly.

"YES IT IS!" she screams back thrusting herself forward. "I would still have an economy if it weren't for you. Oh and you can that thief Arthur to give me my gold reserves back!"

Alfred shakes his head sad: "You poor poor poor poor thing. Your mind is playing tricks on you. It must be from all those oil fumes. You're delusional. It must be such a burden."

Claudia inhales to scream some more when Alfred interrupts: "How about this. I take your burden away, a.i. your oil, and you can have any president you want – as long as he brings democracy and is liked by me. Claudia bursts yelling. Her mouth becomes cartoonishly huge as she frantically shakes her arms and legs. Alfred continues to look smug and even pats her on the head. This enrages her even more.

Next scene: Iryna and Yasna are observing hidden. Iryna looks shocked. Yasna is amazed at Claudia's strength.

"We should get out of-"

"Unbelievable" Yasna interrupts. "I mean, I kind of knew why you asked me to come, so I prepared a lengthy speech. But this sums it up nicer than I ever could."

Iryna looks at her confused. "Still eager to join the west? I can tell you this is not the only example of such criminal behavior. For example, after WWI, I had to pay back Francis every last cent with interest. And we were allies! Worst than that, even when you do pay for something in full, there is no guarantee you can keep if it catches someone's eye. Ivan may be brutal sometimes, but at least he can forgive debt." We see Iryna's face turn sad after hearing the last sentence. The camera zooms away from the two girls as the shouting continues.


	11. Chapter 10

_So I uploaded my work on Wattpad. I thought I'd give it a try. It's under my username, it's called Hetalia- Drinking game. Anyway, back to the story in hand..._

 **Modern times - July 2018**

It's the main hallway in the Brussels buildings. EU nations are exiting the conference room very excited. Austria exits last, holding a poster. He puts it on the announcement board. Hungary and Italy are near him. We see their faces looking at Austria's poster.

"This is a good idea. It is the summer time and I could use a break" Italy says looking exhausted and gloomy, "Especially after all does natural disasters I had." He bows his head. Hungary pats his shoulder full of empathy.

"There, there Italy. You poor thing. Let's freshen up in the cafe, ok?" Hungary says to him, motherly taking him out of the frame. Austria stays. "Yes, it is one of my better ideas. I'm sure it is going to be a blast" he says confident.

Next scene: The hall is not as crowded. Serbia passes and notices the poster. We see it for the first time. It's predominantly blue with a colorful summer-font text.

"EU international weekend party! Come and join us on a worldwide..." She stops and gasps: "Cruise!" Her face becomes worried.

Next scene: We see Montenegro packing in his room. He is wearing light clothes; flip-flops, shorts, T-shirt with a massive gold chain and his signature sunglasses.

"Are you ready yet!" Serbia's nervous voice is heard from the closed door.

"Yep" he says closing his suitcase. "Let's go."

Next scene: At the docks. It is a beautiful summer day. Birds are heard and we see the two of them at the docks. Serbia is wearing sunglasses and a big hat. Her outfit, a summer dress and sandals, are well put together - too well in fact. Everything was carefully chosen, from the rims on her sunglasses to her elegant watch and prayer bracelet, to her very precious chain necklace with a cross and 4 Ss.

"Remember, where I go you go. Don't get lost in the crowd or I'm not gonna pay you" she is being stern with Montenegro who is about the height of her elbow.

"I know, relax. And try not to embarrass me, ok?" Montenegro says frowning. In a few minutes, a large white cruiser docks into the harbor. As they enter it sails away.

A montage: Montenegro and Serbia pass the other ex-Yu states, Croatia, Bosnia and Slovenia, who turn and chuckle at them. Montenegro is bothered by this.

Next: Serbia is networking with some African countries. Montenegro stands near her looking bored. He notices a couple of female island nations lead by Seychelles who stare at him wondering what's their relationship status. Montenegro is bothered by this.

Next: At the pool, Montenegro lies on the deck chair, enjoying the sun. Albania walks buy. He moves the sunglasses up and moves his eyebrows up and down and smiles suggestively. In that moment, Serbia approaches holding two cocktails. As she gives one to him, Albania looks and leaves holding her head high. Montenegro starts to get aggravated.

Next: They are walking along the deck. A large wave hits the cruiser, moving it up and down. Serbia holds the fence looking queasy.

"I don't feel so good" she says to her brother. "You may have to hold my hand." Boiled up, steam starts coming out of his ears.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" he screams all red. Serbia turns. She looks like she's going to throw up any second. "Please, just for a second" she begs extending her arm.

"No!" Montenegro yells. "This is ridiculous. You were fine just a second ago. It's all in your head. I'm leaving now. Goodbye!" He stumps his feet in protest and struts off the frame. Serbia tries to grab his shoulder but immediately turn to the fence again to barf.

Next scene: Serbia is hanging from the fence as Hungary, in her summer attire _(everyone is in their summer attire by the way)_ passes by. She curiously comes closer and asks: "Serbia, is that you?"

She moves away from the fence, breathing heavily with her head bowed. "Yeah, how come you aren't curled up like me?"

"Oh, I was given these neat little pills in Brussels" Hungary says showing her a little blue bottle with yellow stars on them. Serbia looks at it as if it was the Holy Grail. Hungary doesn't notice it and continues: "Why did you come when you knew you will get sick?"

Serbia tries to swiftly take the bottle but Hungary pulls it away in time. "Just one!" Serbia shouts.

"No" Hungary replies. "This is only for EU members!" That doesn't stop the nauseous nations who grabs it, holding for her dear life. Hungary resists, pulling it away.

"I know you have a spare. You always have a spare. Just give me this one. Can't you see I need it" Serbia says straining to open it. Hungary squeezes it even tighter. "Oh. Please. Have some water and a nap and you'll feel like new. No one gets that seasick."

"I'm not faking it. I'm really in distress" Serbia screams as she moves the bottle towards herself while Hungary struggles to take it back. In a final effort, Hungary pulls the little plastic bottle towards her with all her strength, accidentally launching it across the deck and into the sea. The two female nations look at the sea in silence.

"Look what you made me do!" yells Hungary all shaken. "Now I have to go to my room and get my spare." Serbia turns to her angry but quickly turns her head and throws up again.

Next scene: Russia is enjoying the buffet when Montenegro walks by with a full tray.

"Hey, where's your sister?" Russia asks curious.

"Why do you ask me that? I don't know what she does all the time. I'm not her nanny, you know" he says with a big mouth and a vein popping out and moves away. Russia seems confused.

Next scene: Serbia is still at the dock fence looking very weak. At this point she is dry heaving since there is nothing else to throw up. Her shaking hand slips and she falls down exhausted. Another strong wave hits and as she is rolls towards the edge, someone suddenly grabs her and moves her towards the cabins.

Next scene: "What happened to you? Are you alright?" she hears as her blurry vision sharpens and we see China siting next to her. "I get extremely sea sick" she mutters.

China stands up and ponders. "Not to worry. I have a cure for that" he finally says and helps her up.

"Your problem cannot be your body because we are not built like humans. So, it must be inside your head. I am known for my acupuncture techniques. You'll be better in no time." he says walking while she clings off his shoulder like a mannequin.

"Great, " she whimpers as a river of tears falls from her cartonish cheeks.

They cross paths with India who greets them. His eyes go from China to the limp girl falling from his shoulder.

"Is everything alright?" he asks cautiously.

"I'm sea sick" Serbia repeats lifting her head.

"Ah" says India relieved.

Next scene: Serbia sits on a table in a lotus position. She is in a cabin with an open door.

"I still think my way is better" China protests with his arms folded.

"I understand my friend but this will be much quicker" India says calmly and approaches Serbia. "Now, listen to the waves and imagine a soothing situation. It can be anything that pops up in your head" we hear his calming voice from the dark. A burst of wonderful shapes and colors appears.

Next scene: Serbia opens her eyes and finds that she is riding a glorious horse with someone. It is Marko Kraljević (Марко Краљевић).

"Ah, my homeland, are you ready for our quest?" he says as his white teeth appear beneath his long mustaches.

"Am I ever" Serbia shouts excited. "Where are you taking me?"

He takes her near a cobble stone road where they wait hidden. As the Turks pass, with a large chest filled with gold taken as tax, Marko's horse flies over them as Serbia grabs the gold. Dumbstruck, the Turks can only watch them ride off.

Serbia stands on the horse's rear holding the chest while Marko laughes heartily. "This is so awesome!" she says with glee while the horse jumps from one mountain top to another.

Next scene: We see her face with the most blissful smile. The camera moves to China's and India's confused faces. "What do you think she is imagining?" China asks.

"It can be anything. Fictional, real, abstract. Who knows" India says. Serbia's lips start to move and she says: Србија до Истанбула.

And wouldn't you know it, Turkey passes by and hears it. "Say what?" he says baffled while his head pops into the cabin.

 **World Academy W**

Yasna and Dafina walk with lunch trays in hand. "So how are you? Is the headache gone?"

"Yes. I feel like I'm in Heaven" Dafina responds with a slightly creepy tone. Yasna sits in her regular place while Dafina moves along.

"Hey, aren't you going to sit here?" Yasna asks confused. We see a sinister smile on Dafina's face. "No, I've moved to the NATO section of the table. You know, where the cool kids are at?" Not even turning, Dafina sits next to the other Balkan NATO nations, of which give Yasna a sinister look.

Yasna sighs: "Guess it's just you and me now Enis." He sits opposite her.

"I hate you! No, don't listen to him. I hate NATO, not you" Enis speaks as his expression changes. Serbia starts eating already used to his schizo replies.

Next scene: Natalya walks from one end of the frame to the next. We see the South American table in the background. Claudia has her arms folded and hasn't touched her food. The other countries are trying to make her eat.

"Why are you so stubborn? At least drink some water" Maria Juanita says nudging her with a plastic bottle.

"No. I'm not touching that capitalist's stuff. Not until I get my rightfully earned money" Claudia says determined.

"You know, that's not how things work" Maria Dias speaks. "You'll only grow weaker and cause trouble for all of us."

"Shut up! I'm not listening to you loud mouths. Stop helping that capitalist daemon!" Claudia stumps her feet. The Latina female nations starts to bicker.

Bickering is still heard as Natalya walks by: "Why are you sitting alone Yasna? Come and join us."

"Thank you for the invite. But I think I'll stay here" Yasna says smiling. "Ok, if you change your mind, you know where we are" Natalya adds and walks away.

 _So, how did you like the first story? I thought I do something fun, especially because the coming ones are gonna be emotional._


	12. Chapter 11

_9-ish century AD_

An open corridor decorated with mosaic floors and marble pillars overlooking a lush green garden. Byzantium goes first, the little ones follow.

"And this is where you can have your free time. I often come here myself. It relaxes me after a stressful day" she said enjoying the view. The Balkan younglings are astonished. None of them managed to pick their jaws from the floor from the moment they exited the carrier.

A loud scream is heard from a distance. All of the little ones turn towards the sound. "Those are just infidels who tried to ban my icons. Can you imagine such blasphemy? Luckily my bosses are purging me from them and they are doing a very good job" Byzantium says as the screams continue in the back.

"Cool" all of the little ones yell excited. _(What can I say. It was that sort of time in history.)_

Next scene: A young boy runs towards them from the garden. He is tanned, with green eyes and longer brown hair. He is wearing a purple decorated tunic and has something that seems like a ball in his hand. Byzantium pats him lovingly on the head and says: "Everyone, this is my pride and joy, Romanos _(Later known as Greece)_. One day, when I become too tired to run this large Empire, he will take my place. Say hello to your Balkan subordinates, my darling." Romanos nods and smiles, the others do the same although they are not too thrilled about the "subordinate" part.

Byzantium claps happy: "Well then, I have to go now. Why don't you children play. Srb, you come with me."

As the adults leave, the children become very silent. Everyone seems very awkward. "So...do you guys wanna see my toys?" Romanos asks.

"Yes!" the others scream in unison and all of them starts giggling and running together.

 _Unspecified modern times_

The sky is dark and covered with lightning. A terrible storm is accompanied by howling winds. Two nations, one male and one female, stand among a pile of rubble. Menacing electric sparks fly everywhere. On an elevated area around them, other nations covered in shadows stand in full alert, as if waiting for something.

Palestine is glowing bright red. "You monster!" he screams as he is clutching Israel by the upper arm. "I'll make it up to you" she utters on the verge of tears. She is in her military uniform but has no weapons.

"You liar!" Palestine claws her arm so hard that he draws blood.

"I will, I swear. I'll fix everything" she cries.

"How can you fix thousands of deaths. Ha! Tell me!" his glow becomes stronger. The storm gets louder too.

"I...I don't want to do this any more. Please let's just stop" she utters with a tear falling down her cheek. "Let's stop this and get married."

Palestine is speechless. His grip loosens. They look at each other for a while and then Palestine pulls her towards him. They are just about to kiss when the alarm clock rings.

Next scene: Israel pushes her dark locks from her face. She is in her bed, the blinds keep the morning sun at bay. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she ponders what her dream was all about.


	13. Chapter 12

_I wasn't planning so many World Academy shorts but they keep writing themselves._

 _ **World Academy W**_

It's after classes and it's dark outside. Claudia trudges through the school hallway. "So hungry," she says holding on to her locker. "Thank God, I can go ho-"

In the middle of the sentence, the lights go out and everything turns black. Claudia's outlines are barely seen as she turns left and right, getting her stuff in a hurry.

"Where do you think you're going?" she gets startled by a voice from a seemingly empty corridor. We see her from a perspective of someone who has an infrared camera. She gasps. "You can't hide from me" the voice continues.

Putting her hands in front trying to feel her way out, Claudia yells: "I know who you are? You can't scare me?"

"Oh Claudia, Claudia. So suspicious. So negative. Why don't you accept me as your hero and be done with it?" the voice says soothingly. We see her infrared image as the person wearing them moves closer.

"Stay away from me you freak!" she screams. Everything becomes quiet. She starts turning her head around in panic. A flash-light turns on and we see an illuminated Alfred's face just centimetres away from hers. She jumps away from him terrified.

"That was so uncool. You really are a lost cause" he says hurt.

Shivering, Claudia opens her mouth to say something but the words won't come out. "Do you want to be in the dark all your life?" Alfred asks concerned still holding the flash-light on his face. He wants to come closer but Claudia keeps moving away. "I can help you. Just let me liberate you."

Suddenly, a locker in a pitch black narrow corridor is being opened. Both become quiet. A locker opens and a lit candle lights up Ivan's face as he says smiling. "Привет" he says from the open locker. The two remain quiet as he pours from it like oil onto the ground.

Alfred's hand trembles and he utters: "That's some Japanese horror movie sh*t right there!"

Ivan, holding a candle that drips hot wax onto his unprotected hand, moves closer and closer, looking even bigger than in daylight. "What's the matter Alfred. I thought we were playing hide and seek in the dark."

He stands opposite him and we can see Ivan has much broader shoulders than Aflred. Ivan has his iconic smile on. "You're it" he says in a calm but deadly manner. Alfred makes a hasty excuse and disappears.

Claudia clasps her hands and smiles: "I was never so scared and happy at the same time."

Ivan's heavy hand pats her on the shoulder. "Don't worry. He won't be such an annoyance now."

We only see their outlines from the candle light as the camera moves slowly away.


	14. Chapter 13

_9th century AD (still)_

Byzantium's face in full screen.

She reads: "...But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well." Giggling is heard in the back.

Next scene: From Byzantium's point of view. A classroom of little ones, from all regions of the empire, sit on the neatly cut garden grass, each holding up a script. Byzantium stands with her hands crossed, holding a parchment. She sees the group from the Balkans that couldn't hide their chuckles and sternly but softly calls out: "Rashka, do you have anything to add?"

The child with tied hair in boy's clothes stands up. With her hands clasped, she speaks: "If someone _throws stone_ at you, throw _him_ back with _bread_."

Byzantium smiles: "Very good. Please sit." Unfortunately, someone whispers: "Make sure that bread is at least 10 days old" _(that way it's nice and hard :))_

The others bust out laughing. With lightnings in her eyes, Byzantium spots the boy talking. Very slowly she comes near him. Her golden accessories clang as her sandals step on the neatly cut grass. "Do you have any remarks about Bible studies, young Bulgaria?"

Bulgaria's smile disappears as he stands up: "Well, to be honest, I do. We study here about forgiveness and loving our enemy and yet we have battle tactics and swordsmanship next class. Isn't that a bit hypocritical?"

The ancient empire listens to him carefully. "And how would you treat your enemies then?"

The entire class turns to the little dark-haired boy. "Well, I would destroy them of course. If anyone got in my way, I would put them in their place with my mighty army." He swings an invisible sword while he talks.

"I see. And what if someone attacked you? How would you respond?" Byzantium asked calmly.

Bulgaria looks at her confused: "Isn't it obvious? I would do the same to them."

Byzantium couldn't help but smile. "Yes, the old "eye for an eye" method. Combine it with the "no mercy" one and you get a perfect recipe for gaining power fast."

The class cheers excited by her statement. She adds: "Too bad that kind of power only lasts for so long before the brut is left in the dirt by another brut."

The class turns silent.

"Yes, it is true. We do not have the luxury of living sin-free lives. Not yet at least. The world is too brutal and we owe it to our people to protect their way of life. On the other hand, our religion helps us see how Heaven looks like. It gives us strength when armies after armies try to take what is ours. When they kill, pillage and destroy in waves only leaving precious short moments of rest."

Her face becomes tired. With a heavy sighs, she continues: "Still, it is bad for the soul to hold a grudge. Our enemies are people too. There is no rule that states that an enemy cannot become an ally. It is only necessary that they truly repent and see the errors of their ways. No matter what the Bible says, you must protect yourself from an attacker who is in the process of attacking you or may attack again in the future. Do you understand?"

The children blink completely confused.

"Don't worry. You will eventually find a balance. The class is over. Go and play."


	15. Chapter 14

**On the cruiser- Modern times**

In the evening, all nations were at a party in the grand hall. Serbia, freed from her sea-sickness, is wearing an elegant dress but seems annoyed with someone.

"I told you. That was just something that popped up in my head. I have no ambition to conquer. I barely held Greece and that was ages ago" she explains to a pouting Turkey. He raises his nose and crosses his arms. "Fine. I just wanted to be clear on that" and walks away.

She rolls her eyes and looks around. Everyone appears to be having a great time, drinking, dancing and laughing. She walks by people as a friendly face spots her. It's a sub African nation, wearing a slightly outdated but still very classy suit with accessories that are up to parr. All in all he looks like a real Dandy. The name DR Congo stands above his head.

"Good to see you. It's been a long time" he says as he gives her a friendly hug. "Nice seeing you too. How have you been?" she smiles. Congo replies with a long sigh.

"That bad, huh?" Serbia asks. He nods and continues: "And what about you?" She gives out a heavy sigh as well.

Next scene: Someone is watching them. We see them chatting but because of the distance and music we can't hear them. Prussia watches them closely. He taps Germany on the arm. They are at the bar. "Look at those two buddy buddies. I wonder how they know each other." Germany nods disinterested and drinks from his glass. Prussia stares so hard, little red lines come out of his eyes.

He nudges Germany. "Ask her how she knows him?" Prussia says. Germany raises an eyebrow. "Why, on Earth, would you want to know that?"

"Just curious." We see Serbia waving to Congo and moving in the direction of the bar. "Here is your chance. Go" Prussia says seeing Serbia passing nearby and hides behind his little brother.

As she walks by, she gives him an acknowledging nod but has no intention of stopping. Germany is pushed again before he yells after her: "Can you come here? I want to ask you something."

Serbia stops confused but turns back anyway. She looks at him inquisitively. "You usually don't talk to me after work hours." Germany pushes air out from his nostrils. "The nation you spoke to before. DR Congo. How do you know each other?" he asks after he gets another nudge.

Serbia looks relieved. "Oh, him. We helped him with his infrastructure and industry back in Yugoslavia days." Germany nods disinterested as Serbia tries to figure out why he asked. "He's actually very driven. Has a lot of potential. I can introduce you, if you want."

Germany puts his hand forward: "No need" as we hear cackling behind him. "Ha ha ha. So you helped him out, did you? Did you help him with pipage too?" Prussia bursts out laughing hysterically. Germany hides his face embarrassed. Serbia looks at him disgusted and resentful.

"What the hell are you doing here?! Shouldn't you be off to that place where countries go when they expire?" Prussia can't stop giggling as Germany defends him: "He rarely goes out. I though sea air would do him good. Ignore him."

She turns to him angry: "And you! Every time I make even the slightest mistake or do anything you don't like I get heavily criticized. And yet, you carry this, this, historical artefact, around with you without batting an eyelid. It's not my job to ignore it, it's your job to follow the rules you make everyone else follow."

With that she leaves the two brothers. Germany is still holding his face, Prussia taps him again, pointing at her and snickering.


	16. Chapter 15

_Don't get used to so many stories. I happen to have some free time and a lot of inspiration._

 _Vienna - end of the 17th century_

A narrator explains what is seen on the screen. Scene of a field in the heat of a battle. It's 1683. The walls of a large city are seen in the back. Yelling, clang of weapons and canons is heard throughout. Catholic banners clash with the Ottoman ones. The latter are advancing. In the last moment, just when everything seemed lost, Polish with a group of Hussars and their leader, Jan III Sobieski, attacks and defeats the larger army. Their winged armour will forever be remembered as a symbol of Europe's victory over the Ottomans.

Another person is heard: "Wait, wait. Did you say winged?"

Next scene: Hungary and Serbia are talking in the garden of the Hapsburg's estate. Serbia is chuckling: "Winged, as in having wings?" Hungary is looking at her annoyed: "Yes." Serbia sips on her drink hiding a smile. Hungary doesn't stop staring. "That's not very nice. They did everyone a great service."

"I understand that... It's just the theatre of it all. I mean, it's not like they were angles sent from God to fight Satan" Serbia defends herself.

"You should know best. You're the one who lives with him" Hungary says sarcastically and takes her glass to her lips.

Her interlocutor becomes grim. "Yeah. To be honest, Turks are not the biggest problem."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, they know who they are and don't have a need to prove anything. On the other hand, people who converted... They are especially cruel. Beastly cruel. You would think that they would be kinder to the people they previously shared bread with but no."

Hungary nods: "Yes, that is tragic."

With a melancholic stare, Serbia looks at her glass: "Do you think will reach Metohija?"

"Ambitious, are we? I don't know. We'll see."

The two stay silent for a while both deep in their own thoughts. We are left with the view of a beautiful garden on a sunny day.

Next scene: Horse's hooves are racing. A large army moves with The Hapsburg Empire and his subordinate nations in the front. They are all in military gear on horses. The Hapsburg Empire wears an ornamented uniform. He rides along side his boss, Leopold I.

Hungary and Serbia stand up. We now see that they are also in military outfits. Serbia's armour seems a bit outdated. She has her trusty sword and a cross necklace she usually keeps hidden. Her brown hair is done in men's fashion although she could never make herself put on a fake moustache and a beard. Hungary has a uniform similar to Hapsburg's as do all of the others. They mount their horses and join the group.

As they ride, Serbia smiles full of hope.

"It's time" Hapsburg informs her "do you think more of your people will join us in this fight?"

"Yes" she says confident. And so they continue.


	17. Chapter 16

_And the marathon continues :p_

 _World Academy W_

An office with a generic female secretary. To her left is a door with the plaque that says "Principal". Next to it is an extremely large file cabinet. The wallpapers have a subtle but intricate design. Arthur walks in and says to the secretary: "I'm here to see the Head Master."

She looks at him silent, pointing at her desk. He nods. She then opens the drawer and a click sound is heard. The wall to her right opens just long enough for Arthur to enter.

Next scene: Arthur enters a sinister looking room. The high windows are covered in heavy black curtains and the lights are very dim. At the centre of the room is a desk with a large chair. We see a brawny hand with a large golden ring, petting a white fluffy cat which purrs on his lap.

"Ah Arthur, I have been expecting you. You may speak" the hidden man says.

Arthur clears his trout: "I regretfully have to inform you that there were some slight hiccups in the plan execution."

The cat continues to purr as the man strokes her lush fur with his man-hands. "I already know that. Care to explain why?"

A sweat drop falls from the student's head. "I'm afraid that the referendum caused more trouble than it was worth. I overreached."

"Yes, instead of gaining more privileges from the EU, you ended up leaving it. Go on."

Arthur's trout felt dry. "The result was a chain reaction of others considering leaving. From Catalonia, to Frextit, Itexit etc. In fact, many Euro sceptics emerged and multiplied like rabbits during these two years."

The man stops for a second. "That actually had some promise. How did that go?"

"The...all of the potential crises were so far successfully suppressed."

"How unfortunate. What happened then?"

"My new boss tried to make the best possible deal but those bloody Europeans kept insisting that I have to give up my privileges. Can you imagine?"

"Those unreasonable baffoons. Do they know who they are talking to?" the man speaks.

"My point exactly" Arthur complains.

"And then?"

"Well, since I was running out of time and the deal wasn't accepted so well, I had to improvise and create some side attractions."

"Like what?"

"Well, made arrangements with my partners to destabilize the Balkans. The usual scenario of course. Simultaneously, with Crimea. That wasn't working as expected. Then Alfred tried making a move on South America. That was unexpectedly difficult and it's dragging on and on. Then I tried with the Kashmir region which also failed."

The man says with empathy: "Tisk, tisk. Even Kashmir Arthur. You have lost your touch."

"I know" Arthur says disappointed. "And after that the Boing with UN officials crashed and now no one wants them anymore."

The man sighs. We can see the cat move with the movement of his chest. "My dear student. It seems you are in deep trouble. What do you plan to do now?"

Arthur straightens, keeping his head high. "I will try with extensions. After that...I'll think of something when the time comes" he declares.

"See that you do. You showed such potential for achieving our goal. I would hate to have to... replace you" he says in a more sinister tone. The cat shivers from the sudden amount of negative energy. Arthur breathes in and out with a panicked look on his face.

"I will not disappoint" he bows and leaves the dark office.


	18. Chapter 17

_9th century AD_

Hand-to-hand combat class. Srb struts around observing how all of the little ones are handling each other. He notices a crowd and loud chanting coming from one area in particular.

Next scene: Travunia, Zeta and a few others move and we can see Rashka mounted on the back of a much larger Bulgaria. He frantically tries to shake her off, but she holds tight, smacking his head all the way. Srb watches them for a while smiling. Bulgaria does manage to shake her off in the end but he is so tired he can't stand. He sits down, putting his head in his hands, muttering something about crazy Slav hill people.

Rashka wipes of the sweat from her forehead and rests. "You did pretty good. How did you manage to get on his back like that?" Srb asks her. The others are busy with the next fight.

"I waited for him to lose focus. He usually becomes sloppier over time" she says calmly.

"I see" her teacher speaks. "Are all of your friends like that?"

"Not all of them" she replies "Those to the north have certain weaknesses. The south ones too. I try to take advantage of that. I also aim and use weapons well."

"Aha...and when you overpower your enemy, what then?" he folds his arms smirking.

This little territory, resembling a 10-year-old girl looks him straight in the eye. She says in a tone that suggests it is something completely natural and normal: "Well then I go nuts. Duh."

Her interlocutor pats her on the back smiling: "You'll do well kid. Keep it up." Rashka blushes at the compliment.

Next scene: She enters the throne room. Byzantium sits there with Romanos. Srb is guarding as usual.

She calls the small girl in boy's clothing to come closer. Rashka does so and bows. Byzantium looks at her closer. She saw right through her disguise but never said anything. "Rashka, my dear. Do you know why I called you here?"

Rashka shakes her head.

"Well, my sweet child, you are doing well in your studies and a little birdy told me you are quite a fighter?" Byzantium says. Rashka blushes again. "A good student like you deserves a prize" Byzantium continues. The girl breathes in excited. Romanos looks at his mother figure.

"Of course, you'll have to do something for us in return." She leans in and adds: "How do you feel about young Bulgaria?"

Rashka gives a so-so gesture. Byzantium smiles and then says to Romanos: "You can take it from here, my darling?"

He nods, stands up and says to Rashka: "Bulgaria has been acting like a jerk. If you help me keep him at bay, you will be nicely rewarded. Do we have a deal?" he says extending his arm. Rashka thinks for a second. "Will I get privileges for my people?" she asks.

"Yes" Romaons says.

"Deal" she says and they shake hands.


	19. Chapter 18

_As I mentioned, despite the stories being put together, they are not connected. They are just short._

 **Modern times – 2014-ish**

Serbia lays on a chaise longue staring melancholically into the white ceiling.

"It's horrible I tell you, I don't know how long I can take it" she whispers as in pain. "I have suffered many terrible things but this, this..."

"Go on. How does that make you feel?" a male voice is heard. She sighs.

Next scene: We see a flashback of her sleeping in her bed. The alarm clocks rings showing 6 o'clock. Her hand instinctively grabs it as she narrates: "It makes me wanna throw it against the freaking wall." We see the clock being smashed into a million pieces and her angry eye staring at it filled with hate. "I don't understand why we have to wake up so early now!*

*[ **A new law was passed in the Republic of Serbia by which people employed by the state started work at 7 o'clock.** ]

Next scene: Switzerland is sitting on a sofa taking notes. He glances up disappointed. "Is that everything?" he asks.

"Yep, can I go now?" Serbia stands up, picking her stuff.

Next scene: Switzerland at his desk is signing a piece of paper. Serbia eagerly waits for it ready to bolt out of the door.

"You know that you could actually use these sessions into your advantage. I am a certified nation therapist. There has to be some mental problem I can help you with" he says looking at the papers.

"Thanks, but no thanks" she says restlessly moving her knee. As he gives her the paper, she gives him a large sum of money. On the paper, we can see it says Yearly Psychiatric Evaluation of EU Candidates*.

*[ **In my opinion, an evaluation that should be used for all** **politicians and doctors :)** ]

"See you for our next-" he says before noticing she is gone.

 **Modern times – veeeeeeeeery current**

Our heroine is walking home. From a white-picked fence, a small dark-haired head pops out. "Look what I have" he says showing her a flag with the KSF emblem. Serbia glances at it, rolls her eyes and reaches for the door knob.

Next scene: From his perspective. We see that behind the nice fence is the same badly made construction as in the previous chapter. "Aren't you gonna say anything?" Kosovo* says frustrated. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" he screams as she enters the house.

Next scene: She sits on the couch and turns on the TV. The place is slowly getting into shape. There are some new appliances and electronic devices but some old things remained. The bookshelf, for example is filled with old worn-out books and the couch is still the same just covered in pillows. Some stuff still need fixing.

Next scene: News is on TV. The spokesperson announces: "The Assange arrest is still on everyone's mind. What does this mean..." She speaks with the video of him being taken out of the embassy is played.

Next scene: After talking about his arrest for 20 minutes with various experts, the spokesperson continues: "In other news, it was discovered that Libyan National Army received funds from neighbouring countries for the offensive, there will be no investigation in Afghanistan on America's potential war crimes there and Brexit was delayed again. Thank you for watching. Goodbye."

Serbia frowns. "I knew it. It was just a side attraction. Please God, save my people and me" she says holding her head and arching it back. Her cigarette burns slowly in the ashtray. We see her pondering. She goes to the window and checks on Kosovo*. He runs around busy and there is a lot of clanging of metal. She cannot see what exactly he is doing.

He sees her looking at him and starts taunting and yelling. She moves away nervous with him still screaming: "You are not welcome here. Your people too! I'm gonna take the north and there is nothing you can do about it. Everyone hates you! They all want you gone..."

 _To all reading I would like to say thank you. I just want to say that I am really invested in this story and I plan to finish it completely no matter how long it takes. Hope I didn't make anyone outside my country mad. If I did, well, that's history for ya._


	20. Chapter 19

_Year 1791 AD_

A group of towns people. Man with fesses, women whose heads are covered with scarfs and children of all ages, cheer at the sigh of loaded Ottoman carts leaving. Serbia, in her military gear, stands on that road victorious. As the dust from the cart settles she turn to her people and raises her sword. The crowd cheers even louder. Her eyes are bright and wide open. Her peoples' happiness reflects on her face. Smiling from ear to ear, she let's out a happy tear.

A head with a white and red turban pops out from one of the roofed carts. His owner screams to the crowd: "Just wait when the army comes. There isn't a mouse hole you'll be able to hide in. You're all dead." While saying this he moves his index finger from one side of his neck to another. Serbia turns, spits, grabs a rock and throws it. With incredible accuracy, the rock smacks him on the head, knocking his turban off into the dust. The crowd roars from excitement.

Next scene: A fat tradesman brings her into his swinery.

"Please, take as many as you want. It is the least I can do" he says eagerly smiling from ear to ear.

"That is very nice from you. But it isn't necessar-" Serbia says politely and suddenly stops. She turns around and asks the confused tradesman: "Do you hear that? Someone's begging for food."

The tradesman scratches the head underneath his fess and shrugs. She goes to one of the stalls and sees that a very small piglet is very forcibly trying to feed from a manger while other, much bigger piglets push him away. The piglet is oinking and grunting very loudly. After trying to bite, push and climb his way through, he finally manages to get some food by crawling underneath one of the pigs.

Serbia watches this amused. The tradesman comes near and says: "That little guy certainly is tenacious. He was so small when he was born, I didn't think he would make it. Not even his mother paid much attention to him. However, he is still alive. Desperately fighting for food but still kicking."

Serbia watches him with a warm smile. "I'll take him. Feed him properly and we will be on our way." The tradesman nods confused.

Next scene: As they walk out the tradesman asks her gingery: "My homeland, may I ask...Are we safe now? Can the Ottomans ever return?"

She smiles reassuringly and taps him on the shoulder. "Better not think of such things. You don't want to jinx it." Walking away, her expression changes from care-free to worried.

Next scene: The Hapsburg empire is in the camp. He is sitting at a white light chair and sipping wine that is placed on a white table. Serbia approaches.

"Look who finally showed up. Where were you whole morning?" he says looking straight forward at the others training.

"Oh just went to see how my people are" she replies with a hand on back of her head. A little pig squills near her feet. Hapsburg turns and glares at him in silence.

"Is this today's lunch? It can hardly pass as an appetiser" he finally speaks.

"No, this is my new animal companion. His name is Runt."

"How appropriate."

"He can speak too. Come on Runt. Show him. Say something" Serbia tells the piglet all excited. The pig grunts twice.

"What do you mean "like what?" Say anything. Introduce yourself" she says.

"How cute. You thought him to grunt on command" Hapsburg says with a monotone tone. Serbia gets annoyed, letting steam out from her nostrils. "No matter. Care to join your comrades in the training?" he continues making it sound more like a command than a question. She moves towards the group moving from the frame. Runt is still seen. Hapsburg takes a sausage left from his breakfast and hands it to him.

"Here piggy piggy. Do you want a bite?" he says chuckling.

"Hey! Don't feed my pig pork!" Serbia's voice is heard.


	21. Chapter 20

_August 4, 1791 AD_

A chair in a waiting room of a mansion. Serbia sits there, slouching, with her short brown hair covering her eyes. Her hands are resting on her knees, her fingers tightly intertwined. There are a few doors around her, a muffled conversation could be heard from one of them.

"I can't help but feel disappointed by all this. I really thought it would work" a male voice says and sighs.

"It is a shame I agree. At least you didn't lose that much. Your civilians and cities were spared at least" another voice replies.

"Yes. And I'll get to keep a little bit of land. It's good for strategic purposes if anything else" the same male voice replies.

Serbia's fingers clench even tighter. Very soon the Hapsburg Empire comes out. He straightens his formal attire and has a strange looking wig of long white curly hair. He notices the entity occupying his chair and quickly moves towards the corridor. Observing him the whole time, she jumps up and follows him.

"You could at least acknowledge me. I have been waiting for you whole day" she says with her voice raspy from anger.

Hapsburg presses his lips together and turns sharply towards his follower. "This is not the best time."

"Then when? After you sign it!?" Serbia asks with her lower lip quivering. "Have you even bothered to ask that the civilians be spared? Do you even KNOW what is going to happen to them after the Ottoman troops return!?"

Hapsburg clears his throat. "I think you are exaggerating. The only people who will be punished are those who fought. I'm sure the Sultan will have mercy for his own citizens" as he says this he continues walking.

"For the last time, my people are not Turks!" she screams and runs after him. "Let me talk to the other powers. I'm sure that if they hear my plea, they will spare my people."

"You! At the meeting with the greatest powers on this planet! Don't be absurd! You, my boy, are hardly a notion at this point" he says dumbfounded by the request.

"We are created from the same material, aren't we! Just because I don't have a red line around my boarders on some map doesn't make me less equal" she follows him relentlessly. "And besides, you lost the war, why should I be punished for it."

Struck by this, he stops turns and says with his nose high up: "I beg your pardon!"

She stands hesitant for a second and continues: "When I heard of you a while ago, I though you were this great warrior. The great Ottoman nemesis. I heard you even reached Skpoje once. That's why, when the prosecutions of local Muslims became unbearable, I led my people to you. And I thought that it was the best decision in that moment. You took us in, you planned to chase the Ottomans away. When we freed Belgrade and other cities in 1718 you started to rebuild and upgrade fortresses. I was over the moon. I even ignored the fact that all the major decision-makers were a Von, or a -berg or something like that. I was annoyed for sure, but I believed that anything was better than what I had previously. And, honestly, I thought you would get bored very soon and let me handle my own people but that's a story for another time...The point is, you didn't listen to my battle advice, ignored my experiences, my expertise. You just pushed me and my men into the front lines. Then, you lost, in 1739, and retreated and I had to take the wrath of the Ottomans alone. After that, we tried again in 1788 and failed and now you want to give all of my territory back. Why can't I at least tell my part of the story before you sign my life away!"

"Is that what you think?" Habsburg's voice cracks.

"Yes."

"Alright then. Come with me" he says and takes Serbia through the hallway to an unusual door. It was a part of a very thin oval shaped room that was placed in the centre of the hallway, not connected to any other wall.

Showing her the door, Hapsburg says: "Before you enter, kindly name all of the powers that will be there. I don't want you to embarrass me."

"Ok" Serbia says insecure "there are the Ottomans, of course. And a large orthodox country, Russia, that also fought the Ottomans but you never introduced me. Let's see...Your brother with the white hair that screams a lot...Prussia, was it? Those two names sound really similar now that I think about it. And then there's the English Empire..."

"It's the British Empire actually" he corrects her calmly.

"Right, sorry. Prussia and British Empire are Ottoman's allies. And then there's France, Poland-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Spanish Empire" she finishes feeling confident.

Hapsburg hides a chuckle with a handkerchief. "Poland-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Spain are not considered powers."

"Really? But what about the whole Hussar thing and saving of Vienna? I was sure they are important" she asks confused.

"It just shows how much you know, my boy. Now, you may enter" he says moving aside. Serbia eagerly grabs the knob and is surprised by a sharp pain in her hand. As if the door knob was made of fire. Serbia jumps back and holds up her scorched hand.

Hapsburg continues arrogantly: "Well well well. It seems that we are not all made equal after all. I told you my boy, time and time again, there are so many things you don't understand about politics and power. If only you listened."

As he says this, he opens the strange door with ease and enters. Serbia watches. There seems to be a circular staircase inside. The Hapsburg Empire lingers for a while standing on the first stair. "Don't ever talk to me like that again. Considering the circumstances I may be the only friend you have" he says in a serious tone and slams the door.

There is nothing else for Serbia to do but to cover her mouth with her heathy hand to muffle a scream. Not so much of pain but rather of desperation. She crawls into a ball and the frame slowly fades to black.

 _So that's the story for now. A lot more to come. I will probably reach 3000 views so thanks for that everyone!_

 _P.S. I have to ask. Does anyone know what happened to Julian Assange? I mean where is he? Is he being tortured? I'm asking because there are no news about it. Bye._


	22. Chapter 21

_The event is a little outdated but the story is very current._

 **Modern times – Serbia's place**

Kosovo* is whistling while making a shabby fence by taking planks from Albania's fence. Serbia storms out of her house and goes to that fence thing. She looks at him angry and with her arms on her hips says to him: "Have you been hurting my people?"

Kosovo* looks at her confused. He puts his tiny finger on his chin and ponders for a bit. "No" he says and continues his work. "Yes, you did. I saw pictures. You wanted to build a mini hydro plant and you beat up protestors who didn't allow you to put it on their land" she continues staring at him.

"So what, you always bug me about stealing your power" the boy says strangely without barking back.

"Well yeah, but you can't do it on another persons property! There are rules! Besides it pollutes the rivers and the environment. Trust me, I considered having them myself. They are a lot more trouble then they're worth."

Kosovo* looks up, pondering again. "Mhmmmm...Yes, I can. It's my place, I can do whatever I want" he says and takes another plank. "That's not allowed KiM" she says watching him. "It's okay. Albania doesn't mind" he continues calmly.

"For God sakes, stop doing that! Don't you respect anything? This is not a school project. You can't make a fence wherever you want!" Serbia shouts.

Kosovo* stops, comes closer and stares at her for a while.

Next scene: Croatia is placing his troops on the garden fence of Bosnia and Hercegovina. **[I imagined the troops to look like tiny soldier figurines** **placed on top of a wooden fence** **but you can imagine them as whatever you want]**

"There. That will keep those pesky migrants out. In good time too. I wouldn't want my nice white tourists to have any trouble during there summer vacation" Croatia says pleased with his work.

He is taken aback by someone shouting.

"I MAKE THE RULES HER! I CAN do whatever I want and I WILL do whatever I want. This is my place! My place, my people, MY STUFF!" a boy, presumably Kosovo*, screams from the top of his lungs.

"No, it isn't. Everything you claim now, I built. I built the churches, the roads, the hospitals, the schools, the complete infrastructure. I allowed your people in. I even paid for their education by taking a percentage from the salaries of my own people. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even be able to read. You can't fix this without me. Now, I am willing to make a deal if you are willing to talk like a civilized..." says, presumably Serbia, in an irritated tone.

At that moment, Kosovo* starts bellowing the worst insults he can think of. Serbia appears nerve racked around the corner of her house. She leans on the wall and lights a cigarette to calm herself down.

Croatia leans on the conjoined fence of his and her place. "Spreading the love everywhere you go, hah Serbia" he says grinning.

Serbia looks at him with murder in her eyes. She takes a deep breath and slowly states: "Tell me Croatia, how long do you think a bully can harass others without being punished? How much time has to pass before the accumulated weight of his sins falls on his rotten head." She looks straight through him which makes him feel uncomfortable.

"Who exactly are you talking about?" he asks carefully. She continues staring, her lit cigarette burns in her hand.

Next scene: From her perspective. "I can see it, you know. The sins. It's like a big black ball of energy. With every bad deed, it gets bigger and bigger. Now the question is not whether that ball will fall, which it will. The question is not whether it will turn the sinner into fine dust, which it definitely will, but whether the massiveness of that ball will make a crater in the earth." While she talks we can see such a ball menacingly hovering over Croatia.

Next scene: We see her throwing the cigarette bud before entering the house. Croatia looks confused. "I didn't even do anything this time" he mutters before quickly glancing up.


	23. Chapter 22

**11 century AD**

"Can you tell us the story of Eros and Psyche?" Rashka asks holding a tiny bronze warrior in her hand. She and Romanos are playing in the Byzantium palace. They resemble 13-year-olds now. The mosaik floor is covered in bronze figurines of horses and men, wooden catapults and chariots. Their 'enemies' are animals made from various materials brought to him from far away corners of the world. A human entertainer with a harp is with them.

"No, that one's stupid. Tell us about Heracles' adventures!" he says to the storyteller excitedly arranging a line of archers.

Raska rolls her eyes: "Again! You must have heard it a thousand times by now" she says annoyed. As usual, her hair is tightly tide back, with only shaggy bangs flying loose and she is wearing a boy's tunic.

"And I'll listen to it a thousand times more" he replies with glee, "the Greeks were my ancestors and I'm proud to carry their legacy. And besides, they have the coolest myths ever!"

"I was actually wondering about that. The Greeks lived here way before the Romans, right?"

"Right" he replies moving his tiny troops.

"So, why is your name Romanos? Shouldn't it be something associated with your Greek ancestors?"

Romanos freezes, his childish eyes are wide open. "Honestly, I never really thought about it."

Next scene: At that moment, Byzantium walks in carrying a large heavy-looking case. "Rashka, my child, come here" she says placing the heavy case on the floor with ease. The young one does what she is told. Byzantium opens the case filled with gold coins along with some valuable objects, like a mirror, ornaments, jewellery and even a golden brush.

"Now that Bulgaria is not longer such a treat, I do not see why I can't splurged on my Balkan subordinates. Especially good little fighters like you. This is yours now. It's my small token of gratitude" Byzantium smiles. Rashka looks inside the case, spots a very pretty necklace on the pile and picks it up. Byzantium notices and states: "Beautiful isn't it? Would you like to try it?"

"Oh, no no no" Rashka says frantically shaking her head. "No need to be afraid, little one. As far as I am concerned, you can wear whatever you want" Byzantium reassures her. The prepubescent ponders and very slowly puts the necklace around her neck. Byzantium holds the mirror up so she can see her reflection.

"See? There was no need for fear, was there?" she smiles. Rashka smiles back, and twirls.

"Rashka, are we going to continue our game or what?" Romanos calls from the other side of the room. Annoyed, Rashka runs back and sits next to him. "Who are we attacking first?" she says with a stern look on her face.

"That elephant over there" Romanos points.

"Which one's the elephant?" she asks with a question mark above her head.

"The one with an arm for a nose."

Rashka aims one of the working toy catapults and the elephant falls after the first shot. The two raise their hands and cheer triumphantly.

Next scene: Romanos walks his friend to the door. They are about to wave goodbye before Romanos remembers something. "Oh, this is for you" he says to Rashka giving her a card. A human girl in a lavish princess dress is painted on it.

"Thanks" she says happy.

"No problem. When you have a princess you want to trade back, let me know" he adds.

"Ok. Hey listen maybe you can come over to my place to play" she says carelessly.

"Why? We have everything we need to play at my place" Romanos asks frowning.

"Why not. There are great forests at my place and a lot of kids in the neighbours. We can play hide and seek or tag or whatever?" Rashka continues slightly offended.

Romanos shrugs: "We'll talk about it the next time you come over. Okay?" Rashka frowns with puffs of steam coming out of her nostrils. "Why does it always have to be your place?" she mumbles leaving.

"See you. Drop by any time" Romanos waves.

Next scene: Back home, Rashka walks along a dirt road, surrounded by nature. She searches for someone and is still wearing the necklace. Two girls are walking her way. Travunia, a blond girl that looks like a teenage version of South Slavia sees and greets her. She is wearing normal girl clothes and her hair is tied in a long and messy braid. The other Naissus has brown hair and a dress in Roman style but with Celtic symbols on it.

"Why are you dressed like that?" Rashka asks almost scornfully.

"Well, since my boobs started growing I figured I can't really hide who I am any more. So I though whatever. Being a girl can't be that bad" Travunia says.

Naissus nods and continues: "As for me, I just got tired of the whole charade. And Besides, Slavia and Byzantium are girls and they're both doing fine." Rashka finds this statement very sensible.

Next scene: Slavia is feeding the animals when Rashka finds her. She runs excited to her, eager to announce something. Slavia hugs her and asks: "What's the matter?"

Slavia and Rashka sit on a meadow to talk. "I kinda want to ask you something. Something important" Rashka starts cautiously. "You told me that you suffered before coming to this place...Are you happy now? Was anyone bad to you since you came here?"

Slavia is looking at her with a blank expression. She turns her head slightly and we see a flashback.

Flashback: Thracian, Celt, Roman and Vlach representatives are all working on their lands. Illiryan representative runs to them looking worried. "Prepare your weapons. We have new invaders coming our way and they're coming in drowse" he yells. The others throw away their tools and grab their swords and shields. "Hope it's not another raid" Celt says nervous "I barely survived the last one." They all observe the newcomers from the bushes to asses the threat.

"What do you mean you're leaving?! What am I supposed to do?" South Slavia shouts in panic. She has a metal protection for her torso and a spear, but her feet are barefoot. "We need to be prepared if she comes after us. I need to gather my strength and bring more troops. You stay here and guard this land for us" Avar responds calmly and jumps on his horse. He has a bow and a curved sword. Before Slavia can say anything else, he gallops away. Distressed, she starts to cry. The representatives in the bush, seeing her like this decide, for solely that reason, that she isn't dangerous and come out.

Scared by the sudden emergence of 5 males with weapons, she grabs her spear, points it at them and screams: "Stay back or I will trample you with my mighty sea of humans. Their number is so great you cannot even begin to comprehend it!"

They look at her for a few minutes like a bunch of dazed teenagers. Little hearts form above their heads. Not really sure what to think, she puts down her spear and asks: "What do you want?"

"H-h-h-hi" Thracian finally manages to speak. "We-we-we live here." The others wave in the goofiest way possible. Feeling less threatened, she continues: "Oh...would you mind me settling here too?"

"No, no, not at all" they mutter with goofy smiles. "Where do you wish to settle?" the Roman representative asks.

"I don't know. The land beneath the mountains seems fertile..." she responds in a relaxed manner.

The others chuckle. With only her in the frame we can hear: "Did she say she wants to settle the lowlands?"

"Poor thing, looks like she doesn't know where she came."

"Be quiet or you'll scare her."

South Slavia raises her eyebrow. "So, can I count on you guys for some help and trade? We'll be neighbours after all" she asks slightly annoyed.

"Sure!" they all yell in unison.

End of flashback: Slavia stares into the sky. "No, I can't say it was that bad."

"Good, because...I want to wear girl's clothes again. I mean, I'm becoming a woman now. Why should I hide it?" Rashka says both excited and scared of her reaction. Slavia gives her a blank stare again.

"Travunia is doing it too. And Naissus! It can't possibly be that bad being a girl. Look at Byzantium, for example" Rashka defends herself.

Slavia frowns at the mention of Byzantium: "So you now think she knows better than the one who brought you up and raised you. She's turning you against me. Is that it?"

"No! Not at all" Rashka waves her hands frantically, "I didn't mean that. I love carrying your legacy. I just don't like pretending to be a boy. It's not like we're weak like human women. We can protect our people as well as the male ones." _**[People thought like that back then. This is NOT my opinion whatsoever. I'm writing these things for a reason.]**_

Slavia smiles and gently kisses her forehead. "Don't worry my sweet baby. I'm not mad. You can do what you want with your life. I just don't think that this is a good time for it. If it was a time of peace and we lived somewhere else, I would have never even consider it. In my opinion, you girls should wait for humans to become more mature in their views of the world before reviling your gender. But honestly, this is your decision."

Rashka is now completely insecure about her decision. "What did you tell those two then?"

"I told them if they want to learn the hard way, it is their choice" Slavia says coldly.

"Oh" Rashka bows her head. South Slavia pulls her closer and hold her in a motherly way. "You are different though. You are such a tomboy and so flat-chested. I was sure you could pull it off."

A big red vein appears on Rashka's forehead.

"Trust me sweetheart. You would gain nothing by reviling yourself now. Please be wise about it" she says still holding her. Rashka sighs and embraces Slavia even tighter: "Okay Mom. I'll do what you say."


	24. Chapter 23

World Academy W

"And that was my extra credit report on a historic person of my choice" Yasna finishes her report on Stalin in front of the class. Her very generic history professor seems pleased.

"Thank you Ms. Petrović, very informative. Please sit" he tells her and she returns to her seat. He then picks up a chalk and states with zest: "And now let's learn about the Romans and the Carthaginians and why completely erasing your opponent from history is the only true victory. That way, no one can ever say they did anything good, because everything they did is gone" the professor says this last part with a chuckle.

The classroom looks at him shocked. Yasna wants to say something but covers her mouth instead.

Next scene: She mutters something in the hallway near the lockers: "Well that was a horrible lesson." She puts her books into her locker and notices a girl a few lockers away. It is Mirlinda/Aleksia doing the same thing she is. Yasna rolls her eyes, a thing she does every time she sees her locker. All of Mirlinda/Aleksia's books are covered with white wrapping paper and all, absolutely all of them, have the map of Greater Albania on them. Not just the books, all her notebooks, pens, pencils, even her gym shoes have the same map. She walks away and Yasna notices that there is a Greater Albania patch on her backpack.

Next scene: At the cafeteria. We see Yasna's face in close up. She is deep in though. "I can't believe it. I mean how can she get away with it?" she says and glances at the NATO part of the table. Dafina and Šćepan sit next to her chatting along. A smaller figure almost attached to her hip can be seen too. The little twat that isn't attending classes, but keeps coming anyway, locks eyes with her and, in a very threatening way, makes a line with his finger from one side of his neck to another. Only Heracles sits and eats in silence.

"I mean, they can clearly see she wants a chunk of them too. Why are they like this? It doesn't make sense. What do you think?" she turns to her interlocutor. It is Enis who is eating, looking extremely grumpy. He chews in silence and then replies: "I despise you." After two seconds, he changes his expression and adds: "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that...What were we talking about again?"

"Nevermind. Whatever, I'm going to eat somewhere else" Yasna picks up her tray and walks away.

Next scene: Natalya and Ivan are sitting at their table arguing about something in a low voice. They stop after she comes closer. "Am I interrupting something?" Yasna asks cautiously.

"No, everything's fine" Natalya says forcing a smile "did you come to eat with us? Sit." Yasna obliges. Ivan seems to be sulking. Everyone sits like that for a while, while chatting and clanging of dishes can be heard in the background. Yasna looks at Ivan who turns his head away.

"What's the matter?" she asks. Ivan continues sulking. "I'm not going to eat here unless you tell me what's wrong" Yasna states folding her arms. Ivan very slowly turns and finally speaks: "Out of all people, why did you choose Stalin?"

"Well, I saw this great video on YouTube. By some Tooky character, he has a lot of videos on historic figures, you know. And it seemed the most interesting" Yasna replies calmly. Ivan speaks again. His voice is raspy as if he is holding a grudge: "It's not enough that I am criticized and told how evil I am everyday by the popular ones. Now you have to join them too?" He retreats into himself, sulking even more.

Yasna look at Natalya who just shrugs. "She told the truth. I don't know why you are so bothered by it" his sister says. Ivan turns his head again, he seems really hurt. "No matter what I do, no matter how hard I try to improve, to show that I am good, everyone only sees me as the boogie man."

"I don't see you that way" Yasna places her hand reassuringly on his shoulder. He gently takes it and slowly moves it aside. "Then, why did you present one of my bosses as such a monster? Don't you know that all the sins of my leaders are automatically linked to who I am now?"

"Well, I didn't want to lie about him just because you're my friend. Doing that would make me no better than a propagandist" Yasna defended herself. "And what do you mean others can't see your good side. What about Claudia and Rema and all the other weak student you helped out? What about your own people who support your growth?"

"Yeah but despite all that I am only seen as a threat. And it hurt me because I really tried to analyse my mistakes and learn from them. I changed and I think for the better but still no one believes..." Ivan starts and sighs. Yasna tells him: "That's because you've been seeking approval from the wrong group of students." They both look at the popular kids table with Alfred, Arthur, Francis and the other.

Ivan sighs: "Why don't they accept me?"

Yasna scoffs. "Oh please. Do you really want to be like them?! Please, stop chasing that bunch of hypocrites!"

"Yes, but Alfred..." Ivan starts.

"Alfred needs to snap out of it fast if he wants to be taken seriously ever again" Yasna interrupts again. "If you really want to redeem yourself, why don't you look to former-Soviet states. They are the ones who got hurt the most. It is their validation you should seek."

Ivan sighs and looks at the Baltic table. When he turns his head back, Yasna had already left.

Wang Yao is waiting for his home-made meal to be heated in the school's microwave. We see his face being radiated by its light before it clicks and he opens it. "Thanks again for sending me aid" Claudia says with appreciation. "No problem, happy to help" he replies before walking away to sit at his table. He notices Yasna standing with her tray, not sure where to go. "Is everything okay?" he asks concerned.

"Yeah, um...I just realized that I don't..." she replies quietly looking at her tray. Wang Yao smiles and says: "Come and sit at my table." Yasna looks at him happy and nods.

Next scene: The East Asian table is a little different than the European one's. Most of their meals are brought from home and they are all placed at the centre with their trays acting as plates. They all use chopsticks. Feeling a little out of place, Yasna sits down and tries to look as inconspicuous as possible. Wang Yao talks in a loud and confident voice about this and that with his classmates the whole time. A few times during the meal, she thinks about joining a few vibrant conversations but doesn't go further than: "Oh, I heard of that" or "Really, wow" or even "I see" with a friendly smile. The others reply in the same manner and continue with their topics, which are not so familiar to her so she just listens. At one moment, she is offered some dumplings, which she is curious to try.

Yasna takes a pair of chopsticks and has a thought. "Hey, wanna see a trick?" she asks and the whole table looks at her. She takes a dumpling with her chopsticks, chugs it high in the air and, when it starts falling, pierces it with them. The table instantaneously goes silent, horror can be read on their faces.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asks confused and worried.

Wang Yao clears his throat. "No, it's fine. Just...it's bad luck to do" he says and shows a stabbing notion _"_ that, so if you could not..."

Yasna immediately takes the dumpling off the chopstick and puts them away as if they're a hot potato.

Next scene: At her own table. "Back so soon" Enis say glad at one moment and angry in another. "Yeah" she says grumpy "looks like I'm stuck here." She finally finishes her meal and the bell rings for the next class.

As our main character was putting her tray away, a glimpse of the girl can be seen still sitting at an empty table. She is horrifyingly thin, with a scarf over her head. Her intermingled hands are bruised and full of scars. Her tanned face is slouched as she silently stares into an empty tray. Again, she didn't get any food. "What about me?" she whispers in a now empty cafeteria.


	25. Chapter 24

__August__ _ _5__ _ _, 1791 AD__

The Hapsburg enters one of the studies in his palace. Tired and irritated he throws his wig on the table and relaxes on a comfy chair. The others are doing their usual duties. He looks at them all and asks: "Someone tell Serbia to stop pouting and come here. I want to discuss his yesterday's behaviour."

The others glance at each other. "He went back" Hungary finally speaks. Still irritated, Hapsburg looks at her with a serious expression on his face. "What do you mean went back. Went back where?" he asks.

Flashback: A confused Slavonia stands near the garden entrance. Hungary is near, holding her broom. "You can possibly be serious. Your going back?! Now? He'll kill you on the spot."

His interlocutor is Serbia who is checking to see if she packed everything into her over the shoulder shepherd bag. "He can't really kill me. He'll just impose his authority. This is not the first time I did something like this, I know the drill."

Slavonia turns to Hungary who is already sweeping disinterested with the whole thing. "Aren't you going to tell him something?" he asks concerned.

Hungary stops and sighs. "There's nothing to say. If he wants to go and get his arse kicked who are we to stop him. Not like he can't stay here and help with the chores. After all, you brought all those people. Are we're supposed to care for them without you?"

Serbia smiles briefly: "I can't play house right now. As for them, they'll behave even when I'm not around, don't worry about that." Taking a deep breath, in the clothes she came all those years ago, she adds: "They know what kind of persecution their fellow countrymen go through. Especially in the south and in my birthplace. They'll understand. My people need me back home more than ever. I won't let them suffer alone."

She waves and slowly heads south. Runt stands near her feet and follows her. Slavonia watches them scratching his head still extremely confused. Hungary turns her back and mumbles something like "Good riddance."

End of flashback: We see Hapsburg's tightened lips arching down. "Fine! Perfect even! Why stay here and enjoy all the benefits of a civilized world when you can live in a dirt-floor shack! I'm glad his gone. One less mouth to feed!..." he barks hitting the chair's armrest. His monologue continues as we see North Italy and Bavaria standing in the far corner. "This is bad. He's taken this too personally" North Italy whispers worried.

Next scene: A scene of a broken wooden fence. Feet in pig-skin shoes step on the grass as breaking sounds are heard. A group of a dozen Janissary is destroying her house, chasing away the animals, burning the hey and stalls. Runt, shacking from his little snout to his tail frantically runs in order to avoid being captured. Serbia watched them looking sour. We hear her thoughts as we look at the destruction: "Look at them. I could guess what village they were stolen from by their facial features alone. The others praise their skills as warriors. Their drive and deep devotion to their comrades as it is something to aspire to. Yeah… Sure... No mother, no father, no roots, drilled to be what you are not from young age, no right to a family. Who else can you bond with but the kid in the row next to you?"

One of the Janissary's shouts and point at her. They all run towards her as one. She puts down her bag and spreads her arms. We see their reflections approaching in her wide-open brown and green eyes.

Next scene: Unspecified time after. We see Ottoman with his white mask and turban bellowing at someone. "Did you really think you could get away with it! You filthy little nuisance!"

The one he is yelling at is, of course, Serbia. Her body is beaten up and bruised. With one eye swollen and the other covered in blood coming from the forehead, she squints as she turns her head to the side to avoid the full blow of his breath. The room they are in is empty and covered with simple white plaster. She is tied up.

Shacking from rage, Ottoman continues yelling: "Who put you up to this?! It was that wig-wearing pompous moron, wasn't it?! Why did you do it?! Tell me, why!"

She stays perfectly still and silent. We can only see her chest moving up and down.

"Speak already!" he continued impatiently.

"Hapsburg doesn't yell at his subordinates as much. He let's them say what is on their mind and replies in a calm manner" she says timidly. Ottoman raises his hand to slap his tattered prisoner but stops mid way.

"Oh is that it?" he moves away and starts mumbling to himself. "That hypocrite thinks he can turn my territory against me. Well, I'll show him" he utters grinding his teeth. He calls out and Bosnia and Hercegovina come running into the interrogation room.

"I'll have my coffee here. Bring me my cushions and two nargiles" he commands and the two bolt out.

Next scene: A small table is brought in along with a few cushions and a mat for the Ottoman Empire to sit. Serbia is kneeling next to the table, untied sitting uncomfortably still. She looks longingly at the small coffee cup next to the ratluk sweets. Ottoman mutters: "I hate drinking coffee by myself anyway" and takes a puff out of the nargile. He then looks at his prisoner, calmer than before but still pretty upset. "Well, what are you waiting for? Drink your coffee!" he barks.

Serbia grabs the cup with both hands and sips.

"Take a sweet" he continues. It is not really clear if he is offering or ordering.

She grabs a piece and eats it in one bite.

"Take a puff. Seriously Serbia, as if you never had coffee with anyone before" he says now calm and takes another puff. She looks at him. Her face is too bruised for us to recognize her emotions.

They sit like that, quietly sipping coffee and puffing tobacco for a while. Serbia touches a sore rib still in pain, her shirt is torn on her chest and we can see white blood-stained bandages beneath. "Is the wound still open?" Ottoman asks pointing to her bandages. Suddenly remembering something, Serbia covers her chest with her hand.

"Yes. It's really bad too" she says hiding her panic.

"Still? After all these years?" he nods and watches Serbia enjoying another sip. "Good, isn't it? Bet you didn't have coffee like this back at Hapsburg's place" remembering makes him upset again.

"To be honest, it was a bit sour" she says. "Your food is also better" she adds eating another piece of ratluk with zest.

Ottoman is very pleased with this. Finally in a good mood, he stands up. "I'm leaving now. You clean yourself up and get back to work. The fields aren't going to plough themselves." He steps towards the door, turns and adds in a menacing tone: "And if you do anything like this again, I won't be as merciful. Remember that."

Serbia, with her one good eye wide open, nods frantically. As he leaves, he slams the door shut. She lets out a sigh of relief and slouches back.


	26. Chapter 25

**11 century AD - time of rule of Samuel of Bulgaria**

The inside of a castle. Bulgaria's teenage head pops up yelling: "Now that I have you as permanent residence of my place, we can move on to bigger things." He is talking to a group of his peers, mostly from central Balkan up to Danube. Rashka is among them. She is standing leaned on the wall, with folded arms, looking like she would literally be anywhere else but there.

"As you all know, The Eastern Roman Empire, or Byzantium as they call it in the west, has been prancing around this area for too long. It's time to take action. Together with my boss, I will defeat her once and for all and be the ultimate ruler of this region" he says excited.

His fiery speech is followed by a weak applause. Rashka is not applauding at all. Young Bulgaria takes notice of this and moves towards her. "Still pouting cause I beat your arse?" he asks slightly irritated.

A big vein pops out of her head. "Whatever...it's not like this changes anything" she says looking to the side. "It changes a lot. You have to listen to me now and send your army where I need them. That means no more house visits to you-know-who" he says in an authoritative voice.

With an annoyed expression on her face Rashka replies: "Why do you hate her so much? I mean, yeah she's full of herself and all but she's also kind of cool. I mean, she's nice to her allies and a good role model."

"Why are you always on her side?! Don't you want to be aligned with your own kin? Or do you just like foreigners ruling over you!" he asks. This hits a nerve and Rashka starts shouting: "That is totally not true! I think really carefully before allying myself with someone."

"Well then prove it" he says in a mocking tone. "Follow me and I'll show you what it's like to be on the winning side" he says with confidence.

Rashka sighs: "Fine. I guess there's nothing better to do anyway."

Next scene: The narrator speaks as the frame moves to the right showing us a nice field. "And so Bulgaria's boss, Samuel, sent his army south. They were very successful at first. They entered further into Byzantium territory and gained many victories. But then Battle of Kleidion happened..." The frame stops at Bulgaria's horrified expression. His lower lip falls and his eyes are wide open. The group is behind him in an almost equal state of shock.

"Wow" someone says.

"Yeah, nearly 15 thousand of them" another replies.

"Ouch! That probably hurt like hell" is heard from the crowd.

"East Roman Empire's boss must have been super pi**ed if he did this" someone adds.

Bulgaria starts to shiver. One by one the others tiptoe away.

"Hey, I gotta go. I think I hear my mom calling" Rashka says in a small voice, pats him on the shoulder and bolts out of the frame.

Left alone, Bulgaria's eyes start to water as he pulls his hair frustrated.

 _Well, that's all I have for not. If your interested in this historic period, feel free to research it for yourself. This was not meant to provoke anyone. Hope you enjoyed it and found it informative._

 **World Academy W**

The language club is just about to start. Everyone is getting their chair from the pile. Ivan is sitting in his usual place. Yasna places her chair near his table but keeps her distance. She sits and turns her head away from him.

"Hey" he says.

"Hey" she replies.

"What a day. I can't wait to go home after the club?" he says stretching.

"Yeah...me too?" she replies still sulking.

After a short break, he asks: "Why did you disappear? Are we not friends any more?".

"Well...I should ask you that? Are you still angry with me?" she replies pouting a little bit less.

"Of course not" he says smiling. "Well then I guess we're still friends" Yasna is now totally relaxed. "Sorry for my history report."

"It's ok...I wasn't really moody because of you. I was annoyed by this whole...situation." As Ivan utters this Iryna sits next to him. "Hi" she says in a friendly manner and, to everyone's surprise, doesn't make a fuss.

Next scene: Club has started. Ralph declares excited: "I think the best way to pronounce it is from the throat. It's the Anglo-Saxon way."

"Wrong!" Eduard interrupts. "It's a semi-vowel. Loud and long jut like a chainsaw." Most students from east side of Europe agree.

"I don't see why it is so important" Honda adds shy.

"Well, I consider that the nasal sound is superb" Francis speaks standing up and the background turns to roses.

Next scene: Arthur at the blackboard seems frustrated. "Fine. We haven't reached a consensus. Let's try with the next one" he says and turns to the board. He writes a capital J next to a previously written R. Everyone jumps up to shout their opinion.

Next scene: The students are exiting the room happily chatting. Ivan seems pleased. Yasna is still his friend. Iryna is next to him no longer crazy mad at him. "All in all, this was not such a bad day" he thinks to himself smiling. Then he and all the others hear shouting.

At the end of the hallway, Alfred and Amir Gilgamesh are circling each other in a menacing way. They stare threatening at each other, chests out, necks strained with their hands stretched to the side.

"Why did you attack does tankers?" Alfred says in a deep voice.

"I didn't. You are setting me up" Amir replies to budging.

"Prove it" he yells.

"You've been doing this since the cold War" Amir replies.

Arthur smiles. "Ai-ya" says Wang Yao sad. Ivan sighs. Yasna whispers depressed: "And all I wanted to do was share some fun language trivia."


	27. Chapter 26

_A few years ago_

Switzerland sits in his office. It is late at night and a storm rages outside. He is looking at his patients' notes deep in thought.

"I just can't reach a conclusion. There doesn't seem to be a connection. It isn't related with their current psychological problems, their behaviour during the session or their progress" he speaks rereading the documents for the twelfth time.

"These patients always seem agitated and restless by the end of the session." We see a flashback of Russia waving and quickly getting out.

"Perhaps it's an Eastern European thing." We see motionless Belarus whose eyes nervously move in the direction of the door every few minutes.

"But then again, there are also..." Belgium is biting her nails as she rushes out. Luxembourg tries not to be so conspicuous but his hasty footsteps are heard as he runs outside.

"Even nations that usually seem so carefree are affected" Greece taps his feet as he pulls out change, coin by coin, to pay for the session.

"It's not just a European thing either" we see Jordan grabbing the handle agitated. Then, it moves to China who leaves in such a hurry he forgets his change.

"And they're not the only ones. Do they hate talking about their feeling so much? Is it me? Is it a mental mechanism that needs to be studied further?"

As the thoughts rush through his mind, Switzerland's expression gets grimmer and grimmer. He grabs his head and yells frustrated: "Why are they doing that?! It doesn't make any sense!" The storm echoes his emotions.

Next morning: The next morning.

"I was thinking about the state of the Internet the other day and, honestly, I'm getting worried" Serbia says while casually lying on the chaise longue throwing the little pillow high in the air and catching it. "It seams that every opinion a person has, and they have to have an opinion on everything these days, gets pushed to the extremes. For example, you can't be a vegetarian, you have to be a vegan. You can't be for free healthcare if you're not a communist as well. You can't just want changes, you have to be a revolutionist ready to completely destroy the current system. I mean really, since when do people think like that?! A person's brain is like a quantum computer able to distinguish a billion nuances of a seemingly similar thing. Would you throw someone off a plane for a million dollars? That depends. Is the plane in the air or on the ground? Who is the person I'm throwing out? Who is making me do such a thing and why? It's not all black and white, you know."

She catches the pillow and puts it back. "Moreover, people are able to recognize incredibly complex notions in seconds. If you think that's easy, try teaching AI what a chair or a sect is. It's impossible. It seems though, at least to me, that it was tried but it failed so it was decided it's easier to make people think like robots instead. Hah, I'm not going to be surprised when one day in the future people start talking in lines of 1s and 0s. Or worse, be labelled as 1s and 0s. Unless things change of course" she turns towards her therapist who has his head buried deep in his papers.

Next scene: From Switzerland's perspective. On a piece of paper that has a lot of his patients he draws lines connecting them and then crosses them out furiously. There are also some angry doodles. He glances up and sees Serbia is sitting and staring at him inquisitively.

"Interesting theory" he adds quickly shoving the papers into his desk. A small drop of sweat falls from his forehead as he hides the fact that he wasn't really listening.

"Thanks" she says pleased "I had some free time to ponder about stuff more profoundly. I like doing that, you know, it's just all these wars and fights that keep me occupied."

"And how about your international affairs? Anything new?"

She groans: "Oh don't remind me. My big brother is getting on my nerves. Not to mention that little brat with a hyphen. There is something seriously wrong with him."

"I see" Switzerland adds scribbling in his notes. Serbia is still irritated: "You know, if you don't believe me, go and check for yourself. You have a map and can easily search for more information."

He chokes a bit and says a little frightened: "I didn't mean to imply..."

"Oh don't act so innocent. You're part of it too" she adds and looks at the clock. Dubbing her fingers, she smiles: "Well, times up. I'll be going now."

As she comes near his desk, he slightly moves his head up. Serbia avoids eye contact, instead she observes the door.

Hesitant, Switzerland utters: "Would you mind filling out this survey for me. It will only take a minute."

Serbia makes a face but still takes it.

"It's for research purposes. You would be helping me and all my patients" he adds.

After reading it, she answers: "Do you mind if I bring it to you on our next session? I don't mind doing it, it's just that I need a cigarette real bad. It helps me calm down after talking about my problems for an hour."

"Of course. See you next time" he says calmly. She nods and leaves. Not a moment passes before Switzerland dramatically pulls his hair and yells: "How did I not see it!? It was so simple?"

 _Very current_

A while back: Kosovo* is pouting with his arms folded.

"But maybe you should remove the tariffs?" Germany says to him motherly. "No" the little boy turns his head fiercely. "He's right. It's not a good look. Will you consider it? For me?" America smiles and offers him a hamburger. The boy pouts, thinks about it and repeats: "No!"

"Oh please, be a good boy. Don't you want to be a responsible country like the rest of us?" France adds to the pandering. "No!" is heard again. "What you did is not very nice. Won't you stop this silly business?" England says compassionately.

The boy breathes in and screams as loud as he can: "NO!" The others move a step back and the little one exits the room with his head held high. They all sigh helpless.

Next scene: A truck rides a dusty road. Three men in it seem very nervous. Gunshots are heard from the nearby bushes. The driver stops and they all put their hands above their heads.

"Ha ha thought you could smuggle weapons through MY territory. Well you thought wrong!" a smug small boy with a white cap appears from the bushes.

One of the men starts yelling: "Are you serious?! We are bringing food and everyday supplies!"

Kosovo* makes a confused face and quickly checks the trailer. It is filled with flour, milk and oil. "Drats" he whispers and thinks for a bit before adding in a serious tone: "We'll your still smuggling Serbian goods and that is illegal."

The three men facepalm. "Who isn't! Ever since you made those stupid tariffs, everyone and their grandma became smugglers. Why do you think there are so many Serbian products, even after seven months?"

The little boy folded his arms and raised his chin: "Must be supplies. My loyal subject would never do anything like that." The bushes, filled with Albanian soldiers start to chuckle. "Shut up! Can't you see I'm teaching them a lesson" he screams at them with his hyphen throbbing like a big overhead vein.

A man from the truck asks seeing a bullet whole on the trailer. "These bullets could have killed us, you know."

Kosovo* mimics him in a mockery way. "Why don't you cry to your beloved Serbia then. Go, before we shoot again."

The men get back on the truck and drove off. The boy turns to the bush bragging: "Did you see how scared they were. I totally knew it was food."

 _I revised the chapter because the previous didn't feel right. Bye._


	28. Chapter 27

Saying of the day Special segment Part 1 - Ironic history

A completely white frame is seen. The narrator speaks: "Hi there. Today's saying is a well known phrase 'Good things come to those who wait'"

A chibi Turkey pops up out of nowhere and stands proud and smiling. The narrator continues: "As you all know, Turkey was once called the Ottoman Empire and it spread from North Africa, Middle East all the way to the Balkans." A map appears of these regions which makes chibi Turkey very pleased.

"However, not everyone was satisfied with this state of affairs." A well-off group of happy people above which the words 'Muslim Turks' is visible pops up on Turkey's right and another not-so-well-off sad group with the words 'Everyone else' appears on his left side.

Turkey frowns and starts yelling straight at us: "These are all lies! Everyone was equal in my Empire."

The narrator replies a little reluctant: "Ehh, sure sure" to which he calms down a bit. "Except some were more equal then others." Turkey growls and turns to the side pouting.

A new map of modern day Turkey springs out of thin-air. The groups along with chibi Turkey are placed near it. The narrator says: "This equality was easily seen in the distribution of land. Native Turks for example, held a very large part of the inland which was very fertile and suitable for farming." **[This part of Turkey glows green]** The well-off groups smiles.

"However, Christians, Jews and other people who just happened to end up in this region through different means..." the tone of the narrator is very suggestive. "They held the land near the sea which is not as arable." **[This part glows** **orange** **]** The not-so-well-off group collectively sighs.

"Little did they know that, with the modern day boom in tourism, these areas would become a gold-mind and their descendants would grow into a prosperous and influential part of the modern Turkish society." Upon hearing this, the latter group cheers loudly. Turkey raises his eyebrow at them confused.

"This confirms our saying for today. The frame moves to a big flashy sigh that says ' **Good things come to those who wait** ' and stays on it for a few seconds. We hear the narrator grumbles ironically as she leaves the recording booth forgetting to turn off the mic: "Although, it may take 500 years or so. Don't see any problem with that."

 _Please don't take this story too seriously. It is something I heard. It's maybe 70% true but still a great story. The beaches in Turkey are beautiful though. Anyway, bye for now!_


	29. Chapter 28

_There are two chapters before this piece. Please read them in the Balkan episodes here under FSU part 1 and 2. Also, I would appreciate it if you read it on Wattpad under the title Drinking game. Thank you for your support. And now, back to the story._

 _ **A few days before 31st December 1799.**_

The palace ballroom. A head pops up with the name Austria above it barking orders: "Arms straight! Knees high! Do not slouch Silesia. Oh for heaven's sakes, follow the tempo Transylvania. Are you that tone deaf!"

His angry head stays in focus while the narrator speaks: "As the new century approached, the Hapsburg Monarchy got tired of being know by his boss' surname so he decided to try with the name Austria. Although the name 'Austrian Empire' wasn't official till 1804, it will be used from now on for simplicity reasons."

The others try their best to move correctly but he consistently yells with every step they make.

The narrator continues: "To tell the truth, Austria was really nervous and had every reason to be."

He takes a few steps and observes the dancers better.

"Someone's missing" he frowns. The others stop and look at each other worried.

Next scene: A figure in haste appears from the snow covered fields. It is Serbia, running like mad, tightly holding her hat with one hand while carrying Runt in the other. He squeals unhappy.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry little fella but I'm already late" she says apologetically and continues to huff.

Next scene: Back at the palace, Serbia runs through the hall and stops near the doorway exhausted. Austria turns and looks at the slouching figure with his lips tightly pressed.

"You're late...Again!" he says to Serbia while she takes of her blood-red scarf. She apologizes: "Sorry, I had some important business to take care off before coming here."

"You seem very busy lately. What are you up to my boy?" he inquires.

She winks mischievously and places Runt down to which Austria immediately protests.

"Calm down, he's clean. I carried him all the way here" she says grabbing her musket and stretching with it.

Austria is on the verge of a mental breakdown but manages to calm down. "Have you thought about my proposal? It will be easier for everyone if I make a replacement representative of you. That way you won't need to run back and fort!"

Serbia gulps. She nervously smiles and stutters: "Yo-you really don't need to do that. I promise I'll do better. Just please, please don't divide me up."

He stares at her with his arms folded. "See that you do" he answers coldly.

Next scene: All dancers are separated into two lines. We hear the last notes of the music as they gracefully move, with weapons in hand, to their final positions. Austria watches silent. He nods approvingly and let's them rest. He grabs a glass of wine from the desk and we hear his thoughts: "Everything needs to be perfect for the New Years Eve party. It must reflex my strength and capabilities as a European superpower."

A still-shot of France's head painted blue, menacingly looking with red eyes at Austria who seems small in comparison.

"France has been having horrific ideas lately. He might snap at any moment and try to conquer us all. His boss certainly seems ambitious. Well...if he thinks I'm such an easy target, he is horribly mistaken."

We see others casually chatting among themselves. Serbia and Runt have isolated themselves as if to share a secret. She twirling her musket, does the bounce-and-catch and all other military manoeuvrers with astounding ease and elegance. From time to time she crouches aiming her weapon at something as if in a real battle. Runt plays along imitating a watch dog and pointing his snout at imaginary enemies.

Austria is deep in thought. "Even my brothers consider me a joke. No matter, I'll show them. I'll show them all!" He slams his hand against the desk smashing it in two. The others stare at him inquisitively. He turns to them and says: "What?! Can't I destroy my own furniture. At ease."

Next scene: The rehearsal is finally finished and Serbia is ready to go home. She approaches Austria cautiously. He seems mentally exhausted.

"Sorry to bother you, but my I ask you something?"

Austria grabs the rim of his nose and replies: "Just be quick about it. It has been a long day."

"Alright. It's about the announcements. You state my people are 'brave breed of the west part of the Balkan Peninsula."

"Yes, what about it?"

"Well" she starts "you see, it's not completely true. Bulgarian people live west of me all the way to the Black Sea."

"Is he your brother?" Austria asks.

"We do share some common ancestry so technically we are related but we don't see each other as cousins. You see, we haven't always seen eye-to-eye in the past" Serbia replies.

"Very well, I'll redo them" he sighs and they part ways.


	30. Chapter 29

_31st of December 1799_

Next scene: Austria is looking at himself in the mirror. His attire screams high fashion and prestige. Every detail was carefully chosen and made of the finest materials. His entire palace is scraped clean. To put it in simple terms, Austria went far and beyond to show himself in the best light possible. Still, he is as nervous as ever.

Next scene: In one room the male nations are putting on their costumes. Serbia is putting on a white shirts behind a screen when Slavonia's head pops up and startles her.

"Is that your scar?" he says pointing at the bandages on her unbuttoned chest. "Yes" she answers quickly buttoning the shirt and putting on the over-layer. "Cool. So is it true that it's so deep your heart can be seen?" he continues not noticing how awkward this is for Serbia.

"Yes" she replies annoyed.

"Aha, aha. And why are your lips so puffy again?" he continues.

"I got stung by a bee in an early age. Don't you have anything better to do than ask stupid questions" she answers sharply.

"Don't get so mad, I just don't get why you're so shy about it. I would love to have such a bad-ass scar."

Serbia giggles: "It's my own business. Let's change the subject. What are you planning for Orthodox New Year?" * **[** **T** **he Orthodox** **Church** **w** **as** **still using the Julian calender** **then** **]**

"Not much. I'll go out to a kafana or something? How about you? Have any beginning of century resolutions?" he asks. * **[Since nations live so long, it only seemed** **logical** **that they measure time in a different way]**

"Actually yes. I decided that this will be the century I'll regain my freedom from the Ottomans. I will finally get my place back" she states proudly.

"What's happening here. Are you done?"Croatia and Dalmatia peep behind the screen.

"Wow, really?! Hey, can I come and live with you?" Slavonia says wide-eyed. In panic, Serbia whispers: "Absolutely not! Why would you even think about something like that?"

"It's bad here too. You would know if you lived here. Isn't that right you two? We're being marginalized. There's only one road that connects Vienna to the Adriatic coast, for God sake" he replies hurt. ***[And in the 21** **st** **century no electricity. Progress?]**

"Oh wow, how awful" she adds sarcastically and grabs her pants. "Now go away so I can put my clothes on."

"You have very feminine legs Serbia. In fact, I know a couple of girls that would kill for your calves" Croatia comments. A huge vein pops up on Serbia's head.

Next scene: We see the other males and the screen in the middle. The three are thrown out one by one. "And stay out" Serbia yells.

Next scene: They all come out and join the girls in the hall. Austria walks in piercing them all with his gaze. He checks and adjusts every piece of clothing or thread that sticks out. He inspects them again and declares: "Very well." He then presents them with a nicely decorated wooden box filler with tiny marzipan pigs. "You may take one each. It's for good luck."

The group, one by one, come forward. Observing hers, Serbia smiles.

Flashback: Still the Hapsburg Empire stands in his garden watching Serbia deliver some livestock. It's cold outside and they are both dressed warmly.

With his lips pressed tightly he asks: "So how is Ottomans treating you?"

Serbia turns to him: "It's more or less the same."

"I see." Hapsburg adds: "I have prepared a New Years Eve present for you?" He gives her the box which she happily accepts.

Serbia opens it and sees an entire chocolate cake. "Oh, thank you! I love it!" she says with a wide smile. "Yes, I'm quite fond of it myself. Certainly better than the Ottoman ones, wouldn't you say?" Hapsburg says staring at her.

Serbia looks at him confused. "I'd put in some coffee too but I'm afraid it isn't to your liking" he adds calmly. She gives out a nervous laugh. "Well, you definitely made chocolate your thing, that's for sure" she says with the word 'busted' floating above her.

"Upon further inspection of the cake, she notices a big pink pig on top of it" Furious with the insinuation, she is ready to lash out at him, when Hapsburg starts again: "Have you noticed the pig on the top? It's for good luck and a prosperous year."

Serbia stops immediately and palms her forehead laughing at the foolish thing she was about to do.

End of flashback: The party has finally started. All of the superpowers are there, including all the smaller kingdoms. Many of them had female actresses or socialites as their partners because, as you can guess, the number of female representatives was quite limited.

At one moment, the orchestra stops and Austria announces: "My esteemed guests. My subordinates and I have prepared a little surprise for you. Turn your eyes to those curtains over there."

The orchestra plays military music. From the curtained entrance, 15 of them come out, each dressed in a fashionable version of their national attire. They march in unison with their muskets in hand, doing all sorts of maneuvers and patterns to the beat of the music. As the final act, the males are separated into two lines, crossing their bayonets and retracting them as the females pass through, all done in rhythmic intervals. As they move into their final positions, the crowd applauds impressed.

They were instructed by Austria not to move but let others come to them. Very soon Hungary is asked to dance by Prussia, Romano comes to talk with Venice and Dalmatia and so on. Serbia sees Russia approaching but he stops to talk to Galicia. He sees her and nods. Her hear stops for a second. Before he moves closer, Austria asks him to come. Serbia turns pale as we hear her heart shatter.

"Did that weakling think a silly little parade would frightened me? Hohoho, My former bosses practically invented such psychological warfare. They brought dancers, lavish parties and baroque into diplomacy. Before that, delegates from other countries had to actually walk around the land and observe how citizens lived. So high in their own worlds they were. It makes me want to spit" she hears a male voice saying. Turning her head, she sees France talking to Croatia.

"What is your name by the way?" he asks him. "Hrvatska" the other replies. "My friend, that is impossible to pronounce. You stick with me and I'll give you a better name" France says winking. "Alright" Croatia says a little giddy.

"And who might you be?" France asks her. "Serbia" she replies. "Serbie, Serbie...where did I hear that name before?" he ponders with his index finger covering his mouth.

"You rang the bells of your church when I achieved a victory in Kosovo over the Ottomans in 1389. Except it was a stale-mate."

He ponders a bit more: "Hmm perhaps that is it. How are you my young man? I haven't heard about you in ages. It is a rare occasion that Austria shows his territories off like this."

"Still haven't freed myself I'm afraid. And how about you? How is the Republic thing going?" she continues.

"Superb, absolutely superb" he states standing proud "there were some slight hiccups of course. A few chopped heads... but creating a democracy is not a task one can successfully do over night, no?"

"Umm, right" Serbia replies with a fake smile.

Next scene: Russia and Austria are talking. "So is Serbia yours now?" Russia asks. "Yes and no. He moves from my place to the Ottoman's like a yoyo. Frankly, I'm getting sick of it."

"Very peculiar representative. But I do admire his drive..." Russia continues.

"That boy is nothing but trouble. He is insubordinate and thinks he can get away with anything. He doesn't even hold an opening to the sea. The Back Sea is held by some Bulgaria fellow" Austria says looking cold into his wine glass. Russia's reflection can be seen in the red wine. "He's still alive? That is good to know" Russia states. Austria looks at Serbia, who is still talking to France, and smirks.


	31. Chapter 30

_Ok, soo we are entering some fan-girly high school territory here :) Don't hate me, it's meant to be silly_

 _World Academy W_

Alfred and Amir have been circling each other for a while, making everyone watching tense. After a few burns and some 'yo-mama' jokes, Alfred suddenly stops and puts his hands in his pockets.

"You know what...this got old really quick. I'm leaving this snooze fest. Peace out" he said and heads in the direction of the club students. Arthur, shocked, whispers to him as he passes by: "What are you doing?"

He pats Arthur on the shoulder. "Chill out bro. He's all yours" Alfred replies to which the bushy-brow student turns pale and gulps. As he continues, Alfred notices Ivan and they exchange the usual cold stare. The two girls with him catch his attention. He glances at the taller blond girl, who blushes and starts playing with her hair before quickly turning to the shorted brunette. As he passes by, he keeps watching her. We see the girl's frightened green-and-brown eyes looking at him as if wondering what is he going to do. He winks, with stars coming out, and continues along without any further fuss.

"What was that about?" Yasna whispers to her companions as he moves far enough.

The next morning. Yasna is going towards her locker yawning. She passes Rousseau José Luciano who is coughing severely. No one is near the lockers. She opens hers and is startled by the sound of someone clearing their trough. Closing her locker, she is relieved when she sees Jakub near a classroom door waving at her.

As she moves closer, Jakub is slammed by the classroom door and disappears.

"Hey, what's up?" says Alfred smiling as if he didn't just push an innocent student into smithereens. Yasna is too shocked to speak.

"Don't worry I get that a lot. Many students are intimidated by my greatness" Alfred says flexing his muscles. Yasna let's out a nervous laugh. In the back, we can still hear Rousseau coughing.

"So anyway. How are things going?" Alfred speaks.

Yasna pulls herself together and says bluntly: "Well...since last term when you and your palls bullied me to death, it's pretty good in comparison."

Alfred is a little confused at first and then he remembers. "Oh, right...that. No hard feelings right?" he says trying to sound charming. Yasna stares at him in silence.

"Okay, then...Soooo I hear you like sports, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"There's this really cool game I wanted to see and I was wondering if you wanted to watch it with me" he says. Yasna ponders. We see her face as she puts her index finger on her chin. Rousseau walks into the background visibly weak. He's knees tremble and he holds the wall before he collapses.

"What kind of game?" she asks as a group of students gather around the unconscious student. The word 'Ebola' hovers above him in a menacing way.

"Championship" Alfred replies.

Back to Yasna. The students in the back are too afraid to touch Rousseau. The words above him starts scaring them off like a ghost.

She observes his facial expression carefully. "Okay" she says. "Great. See you after school" Alfred smiles and peaces out. Rousseau wakes up, groggy and weak. Yasna turns and asks shocked: "What happened to you?"

Next scene: The next day at the cafeteria.

"I just didn't know what else to do. I kept looking at his face hoping he won't turn angry. You know what happened last time" Yasna's worried face is covered with her hands.

Enis stares angry at her before yelling: "You deserved it after everything you did to me!" His head starts violently jerking and his expression changes. "I understand what you mean" he says compassionately.

"It should be harmless, right? We'll be out in public. There will be a lot of people around. No harm in that, right?" he stares at Enis desperate for some advice.

He ponders before replying: "You should definitely go. This can be a great opportunity for you. He is completely different towards his friends." Yasna waits for a while. "What?" he asks. "I'm just waiting for your other side to starts insulting me" she says. "Are you kidding me?! If you and Alfred become close, I'll roll out the red carpet every time you walk into the cafeteria" Enis replies excited.

"Oh" Yasna fakes a smile still worried. She turns to the opposite side of the table and notices that the others have been eavesdropping and gawking at them this whole time.

Next scene: At the stadium. Alfred and Yasna walk towards the door with only a light jacket over their school clothes. Alfred has a baseball jacket. "Have you ever seen a baseball match live?" he asks.

"No, can't say I know much about it" she replies.

"A nuts. I put a lot of effort into making it popular. Can't believe it got so little traction."

"Well, at least the movies were good" Yasna replies as they enter their stadium. To no ones surprise, Alfred had front row seats. Yasna could see a few other students such as Honda and Maximo nearby.

As the game was progressing, the public roared and cheered. Alfred spent a great part of it standing and clapping his hands. He even grabbed a ball that was pitched his way. Yasna, completely still, was fully concentrated on the players.

Next scene: The people are staring to leave. "So, what do you think? Do you like the game?" Alfred smiles.

"Hmm, it's okay" she answers sincerely.

"Care to try it" he asks looking at the court and showing her to follow him with his hands. Yasna is not trilled with the idea, looking at the seats that are quickly becoming empty.

"Look" Alfred says a little frustrated, "I'm not going to do anything to you. I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die." Yasna looks at him carefully looking at any signs of lying. When she does not find any she relaxes and agrees.

Next scene: Yasna holds the bat frowning. "Why do I have to pitch?"

"I know you can throw. I'm interesting in whether you can hit the ball" he says confidently playing with the ball. She swings the bat and taps her feet as she saw the players do.

He watches her. "Do you want me to show you how-" he asks. "I got it. Just throw it" she says impatient.

Alfred throws. The first time Yasna hits it but the ball bounces off to the side. The second time, she hits a home-run. "He-hey" Alfred cheers. Yasna smiles.

Next scene: Leaving the stadium, Alfred asks her: "So did you have a nice time?"

"I have to say I did. You're much nicer than you are at school" Yasna replies content.

"Do you want to grab a bite or something?"

"No thanks. I should call my mom to pick me up. She'll be worried if I don't call her soon."

Alfred starts puffing nervous. "You really dislike me that much? Let me guess, Ivan's been filling your head with stories about me."

Yasna is gobsmacked. "Look. I had a nice time. Let's not ruin everything with false accusations, ok?"

As soon as she says this, the frightful facial expression happens. Alfred frowns, his lips tighten and his voice becomes raspy. Yasna moves back expecting the worse.

"He's been after me for too long. Turning people against me. Once I defeat him, everyone will accept me as what I truly am - a hero" he says with fire in his eyes.

Yasna observed him very carefully, thinking hard about what to say next. "You want that with all your heart, do you?" she finally whispers.

"Of course. The other students need my help. They just don't get it yet. Like you for example. Do you know how better it would be for you if you came to my side? What has that fatso ever done for you that I can't? Are you in love with him or something?"

Yasna starts to sweat. "Well, it's a long story" she says rubbing her arm and looking to the side.

Alfred pats his head. "I knew it. The violent ex-boyfriend. You broke up but he still doesn't want to let you live your life" he speaks with his eyes glazed. "What?! No?!" Yasna yells angry.

"Tale as old as time. A girl trying to free herself from a controlling male. Finally, a hero shows up. Beats the evil-doer and gets a triumphant happy ending. Everyone cheers and claps. The hero gets the respect he deserves and everything that goes with it. It's perfect" Alfred smiles. His eyes are wide open.

"This isn't one of your movies! If anything you're being mean to Ivan" she yells but Alfred is too far gone. Locked in his fantasy, he stops responding.

Yasna grabs her phone and whispers: "Mom, please come and pick me up. Hurry!"

"The hero gets the happy ending. The hero beats the archenemy and gets the girl" he continues to mumble as Yasna jumps into a small car and leaves.


	32. Chapter 31

_End of_ _11 century AD_

Byzantium waits impatiently near her carriage. The little ones of the Balkans are saying goodbye to the adults.

"Goodbye" Slavia sobs as she clutches a few of her offsprings. Bulgaria Senior sits silent on a rock staring into the hills. Illyrian, Celt, Trachian and Roman are patting and whispering advice to their favourites, hiding an occasional tear. Srb stands near with his head bowed. Avar is nowhere to be seen. No one has heard of him for some time now.

"Calm down already. We'll be back soon. We always do" Duklja, who finally got around to changing his name after moaning about it for a century, says struggling to entangle himself from Slavia's embrace.

"Yeah, she'll let us leave eventually" Rashka adds. Slavia brushes her tears and fakes a smile. Byzantium groans, pacing angry, making all of her jewellery clang.

Next scene: She rushes the now-teenagers into the carriage. Srb, seeming sad, accompanies her. The others wave heartbroken.

"What was all that about?" the young ones start to debate. "They were never this dramatic before."

Byzantium is giving them the silent treatment. Srb simply does not want to speak. He is not his usual confident self. He seems tired.

Next scene: Back at Byzantium's place a few years later. All teens are riding the horses in a circle. Srb is very pleased. "Great job, just keep it up" he instructs them. As he stands in the centre we see Rashka nervously puffing while on her horse. "Everything alright?" he asks her. "Yes" she answers hastily but there are still traces of discomfort on her face.

After the class, she runs to him. "Did I do well?" she eagerly asks. "Yes, you've improved a lot" he says. She seems happy. Romanos calls out all excited: "Hey, guys. Let's go to the beach." The teens excitedly shout and gallop towards him. Rashka is excited too. She runs towards the group before Srb shout out to her: "Hey, what about your horse?"

Rashka facepalms herself. We see her run pass him and then come back the same way galloping. Srb chuckles and after everyone has left he changes from his upright position into a squat with his face buried in his folded arms.

Next scene: The group returns cheerful and playful. As they walks down the halls their chatter becomes quieter. They hear someone whispering.

"Is it that bad?" a concerned female voice says.

"I'm afraid it is. If I have your permission I would like to return to the Balkans" a male voice replies.

Intrigued, the teenagers listen in on the conversation. They recognise that Byzantium and Srb are speaking.

She sighs: "I know it can't be helped but yet I feel so sad that you are leaving me." The group leans in closer, intrigued. Some even make kissy faces to which Romaos angrily protests.

"I feel the same way. I will remember my time here fondly...Still, I do have one last wish" he continues.

"Speak."

"I would like to take the little ones back home. It is where they belong." Teenagers exchange stares. Everyone is silent until Byzantium sighs again.

"Very well" she replies. Footsteps are heard and the group scatters seconds before the two are shown.

Next scene: In the carriage, the Balkan teenagers are rowdier than usual. They shout and giggle excited to see their elders. Srb has spent most of the trip sleeping. Not even the loud noises bother him. As the carriage stops, the door is launched open by a bunch of kids running in all directions shouting their names.

"Roman!", "Bulgar!", "Celt!" "Thracian!", "Slavia!" some shout searching the houses, fields, stables, water basins etc. None reply. Rashka rushes into a stable filled with hay shouting Slavia's name over and over again. Shouts of others are heard outside, now becoming louder and more desperate. "Slavia!" Rashka screams from the top of her lungs. Srb walks in and sits on the hay exhausted and sad. "We're too late. F*ck!" He buries his head in his palms frustrated.

"Too late for what?" Rashka starts to panic. He sighs and answers after a pause: "You can stop searching for them. They are gone...For good."

"What?! Why?" she cries.

"It's something that our kind does...It's been bad for some time now. Everything is just so different and so tiresome now. It's not worth existing any more" he says with his head bowed.

"I don't understand. What has changed so much? Everything seemed fine before we left…" she starts and gasps startled. "Did Byzantium do something to them?!

"No, no. Not directly at least. It's hard to explain" he says and starts reminiscing. "When we were young, everything was so different. Back in our time, we felt all powerful. Like one of the many many gods our people worshipped" he smiles nostalgically.

Rashka carefully listens with tears in her eyes. "We could do anything back then" he says and becomes serious: "But now, there are all these new rules, and this new way of life."

"You can still do all kinds of stuff...just pray after it or build a church" she says completely serious. Srb can't help but snicker.

"I need to go. Understand, little one, we have done our best to teach you all what you needed to know. It's time for you and the others to pick up where we left off. I am so tired...too tired" he says and closes his eyes. Rashka calls out in horror. She cannot hold back her tears. Her scream alerts the teenagers.

Seconds later, she is startled by him saying: "Stop crying will you?" Srb raises his head looking uncomfortable.

"How can I stop after everything you told me?" Rashka screams with waterfalls falling from her face. She is swollen and red from weeping. "Females. So emotional" he mumbles.

"It's healthy to cry. What else can I do when everyone I ever loved is gone and I didn't even get to say a proper good-bye!" she weeps. The teens finally come, and look at Srb completely confused. He massages his temple and with a heavy sigh explains what is happening again.

Next scene: The group is sitting near the woods. "Do you all understand? Are there any more questions?" The bowed heads signal yes. Faces of some are swollen, some are still wiping their tears. All of them are very upset.

"Well then...I'll be going now. Goodbye" Srb says and slowly walks into the woods. After an hour of trudging, he lays his hand to rest on a random tree and looks at the sun. The sky is clear, the birds are chirping. If something of importance is about to happen, nature shows no signs of interest. Srb's skin, once flawless and smooth, is now dry, crackling and flaky. He holds to the tree with last remnants of his strength. More and more flakes fall from him. "It's been a good life" we hear his thoughts. He smiles. A moment later, his entire body is turned into fine dust and the wind carries it off who knows where.


	33. Chapter 32

_Beginning of 12th century_

Clanging footsteps of armoured warriors hit the low grass. A few figures, resembling 16-year-olds, are observing one another seeming extremely tense. Their number has shrunk since the adults have left them to fend for themselves. Hot-headed and prideful, none wanted to leave their weapons behind, despite coming to negotiations. Travunia, Duklja, Naisuss, Rashka, Skadar, a male from Drina river and twins tied to the Morava river region stood and argued determined to get their way. _**{I'm sorry if you don't agree with my divisions**_ _ **of Morava and Drina**_ _ **. I**_ _ **did consult a**_ _ **textbook**_ _ **map but no specific characteristics were included}**_

"This is becoming ridiculous, we have spent too much time fighting. Bulgaria and Byzantium are at out throats. We need to unite under one entity if we want to survive!" Skadar says frustrated.

"That's what I've been saying. Just fork over your weapons and let me be the leader" Duklja states with confidence.

"You?! Don't be silly. You'll spend two-thirds of the day sleeping and make us do all the work" Travunia retorts.

"So? What's your point?" he replies.

"As the most cultured and refined of us..." Naissus starts before she is rudely interrupted by a collective 'Shush'.

"I should lead. I have the sea and a large trading centre" says Travunia to which Skadar scoffs.

"We hold an important river route" the Moravians shout in unison. "So do I" Drina adds angry.

"Guys, guys. Stop it. We will never solve things this way" Rashka says irritated and sighs: "Our bosses will have to decide for us." The larger ones chuckle.

"Don't be so smug. That doesn't mean you'll win" she frowns.

"Oh, so you think you have a chance?" Naissus teases. "Why not?" she replies with a confident smirk.

"No offence sis, but I'm not letting a female rule over me. It goes against my warrior codex" Duklja speaks folding his arms and raising his head more. All the girls get offended by his words.

"Oh, please. I kicked your but plenty of times. And besides, you don't have the height to be a leader little man" she comments condescendingly, patting his head which barely reaches her shoulder. Duklja yells back as a large vein pops out.

"But seriously now, I'm the central one and I have the capital of a sort. Plus I'm sharp and have a good eye..." she continued.

"Yeah, right" one of the twins says "If you are as good as you say you are, then how come you spent half of your existence at Byzantium' place."

"Oh snap" the Drina representative blurts.

Rashka is hurt by his words and looks at him angry: "Don't underestimate me. I observed her carefully and learned a lot from my time there. About running a state, economics and yes, even about warfare. Things you will all have a chance to see." The frame focuses on her determined stare.

The meeting ends and they all go their separate ways. It is at this point anyone's guess who will unify this region.

 _I will talk about what happened next in broad strokes only, s_ _o yeah...I got this information from an illustrated Yugoslavian textbook following the conquests of our supposedly first recognised king Stefan Nemanja (Стефан Немања). No need to get offended, this was the state of things almost a thousand years ago so please chill. Things are different now, many things have changed. Speaking of Stefan Nemanja, if you want to learn more about this period in history, check out a Serbian TV show "Nemanjići" from 2018. YouTube has a few good videos in Serbian with subtitles. Also feel free to research on your own. Thanks, bye :)_


	34. Chapter 33 (complete)

_Modern times – therapy_

Serbia, seeming tense, is sitting on the edge of a chaise longue. Switzerland is tapping his pen, seeming uncomfortable with the silence.

"Are you ready to start?" he asks carefully. She lets out a deep sigh.

"I don't know. I don't think this is working."

He looks at her and then at his notes. "I could not agree more...There isn't a single session where you at least attempted to open up."

"That's not my fault... I mean, look at this place. It resembles a dentists office with more comfortable chairs. You don't even allow drinking. How can I relax and talk about my feelings sober?" Serbia says sincerely.

He ponders for a bit and says: "Would you be interested in a different kind of treatement?"

"Huh" Serbia replies. Switzerland takes an old-fashined pocket watch from his drawer. "Hypnosis, for example?"

"Sure, why not" she approves kind of curious.

Next scene: The therapist brought his chair closer to the chaise longue. He swings the clock near his patient's face. Her pupils go left and right as the clock ticks. The therapist is observing her reactions. Her eyes are focused on following the pocket watch.

"Is it working yet?" she asks after a minute. Switzerland frowns. "No" he says and puts the watch back on the table.

Confused, Serbia asks: "Aren't you gonna try again?"

"No. Some people just can't be hypnotised" he says and folds his arms thinking. Three light-bulbs, one by one appear above his head, the last one lights up brighter than the rest. He stands up and walks to a smaller door Serbia always assumed to lead to his private bathroom. Switzerland opens it and we can clearly see a closet filled with life-sized dolls of nations in different stages of mutilation.

Serbia's is in such a state of shock that it makes her therapist smile. "Before you run away screaming, I didn't do this. This is the type of therapy I created for some of my patients who prefer expressing their emotions physically. It's actually quite successful" he says proudly.

"Aha" she utters still slightly dazed.

"Would you care to try?"

Next scene: Serbia is in the roomy closet, saying: "So I can take any doll here and do whatever I want with it?"

"Yes, anything except burning it to ash. Making them again from scratch is too time-consuming" he replies.

She looks around again. The dolls are meticulously arranged by regions in two rows. Some of them have very visible traces of cutting and ripping. "These dolls are very life-like. It must be weird watching them be treated badly."

Switzerland, who is still at the door answers: "Well, you must remember they are lifeless objects. And besides I have them mended once every few months."

Serbia chuckles and points to a Switzerland doll dressed as Haidi. Her therapist shrugs and says: "All in a days work."

Her brightened mood quickly turns dark after seeing the Pakistan and Indian doll, both cut and torn. "These two should really learn to get along. In isn't just about them any more, you know. With all these nukes, one bad move and we can all go just like that" she says the last sentence snapping her finger.

Her therapist touches the back of his head feeling uncomfortable. "Have you chosen the doll you want?"

Still browsing, she gets to her region and, seeing one with Serbia written above it, stops gobsmacked. The doll is so deformed it cannot even be recognized. It is almost ripped into pieces, her insides are torn out, some parts are burned with cigarette buds. She turns to her therapist. "Who did this?" she asks angry.

"It's confidential" he replies looking to the side.

"Don't you think I deserve to know who mutilated me like this?" Serbia continues determined.

Switzerland is becoming irritated: "Patients showed great success with this type of treatment. It's an inanimate object used in a therapy session. That is all you need to know."

"Fine" she says giving him a cold stare. "I'm done for today. I'll just pay my bill

and be on my way" she says and takes her old trusty postal bag off the hanger.

Next scene: She is at his desk. Switzerland sits in his chair. She roams through her bag while he avoids to look up at her face insisting: "The session is not complete. As your therapist, I urge you to stay so we can look for a solution together."

"It's okay. Honestly" she says salty, still searching for something. Wee see a piece of paper being presented to her. "Then at least accept this free 1-hour therapy coupon. Perhaps next time we will have more to talk about."

She accepts it with a sigh. "Thanks. Now, could you sign the paper that I attended today..." He grabs it and signs it grumbling something about psychology not being a joke.

Next scene: From his angle as he gives her back the document, his gaze moves upward. Serbia's hand is leaning on the edge of the desk, her body turned slightly to the side. Her casual white dress nicely emphasizes her small flat waist. There is an additional layer of crochet material which makes the bust appear larger. The frame stops on her face observing the wall behind him.

"Hey, isn't that the same coco clock you had a century ago?" she asks pointing with her chin.

We see Switzerland's confused face blush. "Yes" he replies turning his head towards the wall.

"Huh" she says, still standing in the same position. "Funny, I don't remember hearing it."

"Well...I, umh, disabled the mechanism. I concluded that some patients might consider it offensive to hear _co-co_ while being psychologically evaluated."

"I see your point" she says smiling and waves goodbye.

"It's a good thing I'm wearing a push-up bra" we hear her thoughts as she exits.

Next scene: The next evening, Serbia rushes into her house and jumps on the couch. An ancient looking TV with antennas is placed in front of an LCD one. A few taped wires are connecting it to an even-older looking video cassette player.

She looks at herself in the mirror and speaks as re-enacting a play: "You found it! Thank God, I thought I lost it...Oh, it's nothing, just some old gadgets that I never threw away...I haven't cleaned my bag in decades, you know."

She turns the small TV on and see a recording of Switzerland's office. The chaise longue is only visible from the back. We can only see the area around the coffee table and the doll closet. Serbia presses the player's fast forward button and watches it intensely while eating chips. We can see the other nations coming in an out in speed motion. There is no sound. Some lay on the longue, some sit, others walk and talk but she fast-forwards through all of that.

Next scene: The next day, she enters the house in the same manner. This time, Switzerland is hypnotizing America. Serbia chuckled after seeing how fast he went down. More nations coming in, talking and leaving. As the phone rings she swiftly answers it. "Can't talk, busy" she says and ends the call. Someone finally uses a doll. Germany put a wig and a lavish dress on Italy's doll and waltzed with it for an hour. He even kisses its hand after.

Next scene: Second day. Serbia runs towards the house excited. Her neighbours try to start a conversation but she shuts the door not paying attention to any of them. Many patients want hypnosis. Switzerland uses his watch again and again. The patients go down and talk with their eyes closed. Switzerland takes notes. "My God, Swiss, you could at least make them do the Macarena or something" she says sarcastically, covered in snack crumbs.

Next scene: Third day. Serbia starts to get nervous. On the small monitor, Russia enters the office visibly upset. Curious, she leans closer and slows down the footage. He sits slouched with his head in his hands. Then he takes a deep sigh and starts opening his mouth. Knowing about his problems, Serbia can somewhat guess what he is talking about. The relationship with his frenemies, the pain of being betrayed by the one's closest to him, the stigma of being THE bad guy. At the end, he even sheds a manly tear. Seeing this, Serbia whispers: "I understand how you feel" and starts crying.

After him, Croatia walks in. Serbia barely notices wiping her tears. The therapist and patient go to the closet and Croatia comes back with her doll. She finally turns her head towards the television and is disgusted with what she sees on the grainy monitor. The patient repeatedly throws, holds down, cuts and slices it with various objects, one of them being a saw. The therapist takes notes. She turns off the TV furious.

Next scene: Serbia is calling someone on the phone. As soon the voice on the other side answers, she starts hysterically: "I need to talk to you right away. It's urgent!"

"What is it?" he asks concerned.

"I think...I think my TV is out to get me." she says looking at the larger television. "It knows everything about me, talks back and puts strange ideas into my head."

The voice on the other line asks noticeably confused: "Has this happened before? Is it the only object doing so?"

"Well, the Internet does the same thing, but that's a whole different story" she continues.

Next scene: The next day. She walks in and shuts the door of her house relieved. In her hand is something that resembles a button only bigger. After closer inspection, we can see that it is a camera lens. She destroys it and walks towards the living room. Not a second later, there is a knock on the door.

She opens to see America standing there. "Hi..." she starts as he enters without waiting to be invited and looks around. We see him from the back. She stares at him scared.

"You've been acting weird recently. Anything to declare?" he says snooping around the hallway.

"Excuse me?"

"You're activities in the past few days were suspicious."

"I don't understand?" she plays it cool.

"Don't lie to me" America says in a threatening manner. "Your neighbours say that you barely left the house or spoke with anyone outside of work for almost a week. You haven't gone out of had a house party and were even too busy to talk on the phone."

"You're right. That doesn't sound like me" she says calmly while a few drops of sweat fall on her face.

"Also, the things you spoke about in therapy today were pretty disturbing" he continues.

She stutters: "How...how do you know what I talked about with my therapist?"

"Isn't it obvious? I wired the whole place to make sure Switzerland wasn't doing some weird stuff with me while I was under hyp… I mean while I was in there. Like, making faces behind my back or something" America replies calmly still browsing the rooms.

"That...actually makes sense" Serbia says seeming calm.

"So...What is it? Bombs from Russia, secret mind devices from China, illegal weapons form God-knows-where? Are you going to tell me or do I have to look for it myself?" he says turning in her direction.

She bites her finger thinking and then replies sad: "Alright, I'll show you." She takes him to the living room where the video recorder was still set up. Before playing one of the cassettes she begs: "Please don't jump to conclusions and please please don't tell this to anyone."

America adjusts his glasses as the small television is turned on. On the monitor, we can see some grainy home movies from the 70s. There, the former roommates goof around the garden seemingly having a 1st of May picnic. There are other people there. Tito, their former boss, is seen enjoying the barbecue.

America raises his eyebrow disappointed.

"To be honest, I was feeling nostalgic for the good-old-days so I took them out. I got so hooked I completely forgot what day it is" she sighs melancholically.

He looks at the video a little longer and says: "I know how that goes. I've been there myself." We see his arm grabbing her shoulder tight: "Hang in there kid. You'll see better days."

"Kid?" she repeats with her eye twitching.

"As for these tapes, I'm going to take them just to make sure that you aren't lying. My people will return them as soon as they finish watching them" he says grabbing a bag and putting them in.

"Um...alright" she says slightly nervous.

"Don't worry, nothing will happen to them" America smiles. "Well...I'll be going now. Bye" he makes a hand gesture and walks out closing the door.

Serbia waits a few minutes motionless before falling on the couch exhausted. "That was close" we hear her think.

 _If it wasn't obvious from this chapter, I have no idea how spy equipment works. Hope it was at least entertaining :)_


	35. Chapter 34

**_Saying of the day: Special segment Part 1 – fun and games; smoke and smog_**

A chibi China pops out in a blank white space smiling. "Why hello there" the narrator says cheerful to which China waves, "could you please move back a few steps." Slightly confused, he does so.

"Perfect, thank you. Ok boys" the narrator continues and big letters fall from the sky spelling "PAY MORE THAN YOU BARGAIN FOR."

She continues: "As you all know China is known for a lot of things. Long history, incredible myths, natural wonders, excellent economy" chibi China's stands prouder and taller with every praise "and a poor environmental record..." The last phrase makes him deflate.

"Hey" he states angry looking straight. The frame very slowly moves to the side.

"Well it's true. Just ask Japan and South Korea. Your smog reaches all the way to their place" the frame moves to show their chibi versions with surgical masks with big red head veins. China folds his arms and looks to the side pouting. "It's just a little bit of industrial smoke. How bad could it be?" he says sulking.

"Well it was bad enough that you completely got rid of it for the 2008 Olympics, right?" the narrator asks. China asks and we see chibis of America, Britain, Germany, France and Russia looking impressed in a black-and-white flashback. "I didn't think he could do it, but he did" they say astonished.

China smiles. "It was a great one too. Everyone loved it and so many tourists came. I even earned some money despite the enormous cost" he boasts.

"Are you sure about that? Any hidden expenses you forgot to mention?" the narrator adds. China looks uncomfortable. "Like what?" he asks carefully.

"Like the cost of stopping the production of all those factories for the duration of the games?" the narrator taunts. A big sweat drops appears on his chibi head along with a nervous chuckle. "Would you look at the time. I got to go" he says, throws a smoke bomb and disappears in a puff.

"And there you have it folks. An example of the saying "Payed more than you bargained for." The frame moves to the huge sign.

 _I will move this into a one-shot series. Just not yet..._

 ** _Current_**

Croatia's study. He sits by his computer trembling from anger, breathing heavily from his nose. "Damn you, I'm gonna get you...you abomination of a country" he says reading an article in which Serbian officials condemn the attacks that recently happened at his place. We see her picture on the screen as he repeats his threat. The screen moves out of the dark room illuminated only by the light of the computer.


	36. Chapter 35

_World cruise_

India stands wearing a formal national attire, sipping from his glass. He smiles at everyone except Pakistan who he gives the stink eye. It's a great party and many nations are chitchatting and generally having a good time. He notices America coming his way and is a little surprised.

"Hey, India. How's it going?" America with his usual friendly expression. He also has a drink.

"Very well. Thank you for asking. What about you?" he replies.

"Great, I'm great." America nervously rubs his neck. "So, I've wanted to ask you something for a long time. You're vegan, right? How the h*ll do you do that?" he says.

India moves his head left to right before mumbling: "Vegan?"

"Yeah, like only eat plants. You know, vegan."

"Well, my people's religious beliefs have mostly affected their diet. For example, Hindus are forbidden from eating beef while Muslims do not eat pork. Still, I would prefer the term vegetarian since some do drink milk, while others do enjoy poultry and fish, or even goat meat. There is a variety of people groups and subgroups and subgroups within subgroups all with different rules..." India speaks clearly delighted by the topic.

"Aha aha" America nods energetically, "You see, here's the thing. I'm a big guy and need my meat. But there is this group of people that are really aggressive about protecting the animals and stuff. I mean, okay, let's pretend everyone turned vegan overnight. And all the animals were freed from the slaughterhouses...Where are they gonna go? They're clearly not adapted to living in nature. What are they going to do? Roam the highways? Graze golf parks?"

India listens carefully. "I understand your problem, my friend. I too have a serious cow-on-road problem. Still they are sacred creatures" he says and puts his hands together.

"Yeah. I just think it turned into some kind of competition. Some of my girls love to show how much they don't eat. For example, a guy takes a girl to a restaurant and she orders a salads. Can you imagine? He gets a nice steak or a full course meal and she just smiles acting full."

"Ah...you should be proud of such females. At some parts of my place, the wives wait for the husband to finish their meals before they sit and eat from their plates. It is a traditional way of showing respect and admiration" India smiles.

America looks at him shocked.

"It looks like we have more in common that I thought" India says and sips his drink. America, with vertical blue lines on his face, walks away.

 _So, hi...Can you guess my mood from the story (insert troll face here) Don't worry, serious stuff is yet to come._

 _World academy W_

It's the middle of the night. We are in a dark room with tacky wallpapers. There are a lot of football memorabilia on them as well as posters of the Beatles, Queen, Sexpistols etc. The frame slowly moves towards the bed which has a Union Jack bedding. Arthur is twisting and turning apparently having a nightmare.

Next scene: An empty school hallway. A spotlight shines Arthur who is standing on the middle of the hallway breathing heavily. "So they think I can be treated like that. Ha! Well they're wrong! I'll show them. I'll show all of them!" he screams turning on an electric chainsaw and hoisting it above his head. As we hear the chainsaw loud roar he yells again: "I'll show all of them!" followed up with a hysterical laugh.

Next scene: Back in the room. We see Arthur sleeping. His face turns from worried to smirking.


	37. Chapter 36

_Winter 1804._

A room with plaster white walls in a village house. There is a vivid black-and-red carpet on one wall. From the dark-brown windows we can see heavy snow. A group of serious men as well as Serbia dressed in male attire sit in silence. "I didn't expect it would happen so soon, but we were left with no other options" we hear her as the invisible solemn narrator.

Next scene: An image of an empty basement. Men in fine clothing are pushed inside handcuffed by guards with white turbans. "Our janissary overlords got greedy and wanted Belgrade for themselves. They killed many local Serb authority figures. Seventy-two to be exact. Not to mention countless others who got in the way." A group of men and women with sheep-skin hats and headscarves, old and young, gathered at the village square. Some afraid, some in tears, some angry. "They hoped that without them, the people would get discouraged and yield to their rule. They were wrong."

Next scene: _15\. February 1804._ in Orašac (Орашац). "Brothers, I will be honest with you. If you chose me as the leader, I will be strict. I won't tolerate the slightest misstep" a man with short dark hair and long moustaches speaks.

"We want you as our leader!" the other known men, who managed to escape, yell. "Then I will lead you!" the dark-haired man declares. The rest cheer: "Long live Karađorđe (Карађорђе)!" Serbia is among them with her weapons ready. She grabs his hand and hoists it up to the delight of all gathered.

"Despite the uninspiring speech, they chose wisely. As a strong-willed and no-nonsense leader, Karađorđe and his men very soon forced the janissaries out of their region. The revolt grew and grew, becoming a full fledged uprising."

Next scene: "Of course supplies were needed" we hear her voice while looking at a heavy door as a small hand knocks. It burstly opens and we see Hungary looking agitated. She hastly takes out four cannons tied with ropes. The door opens a little more and we can see Czechia crying with others consoling her. All of them look a little shabby. Hungary then smashes the door shut and the frame moves to Serbia. "What a rude cow" she grumbles grabbing the cannons like grocery bags.

Next scene: Palace garden. The now officially called Austrian Empire has just finish battling the French Empire who obviously got bored with the whole democracy thing. He stumped the ground in haste with his military attire completely ruined and torn. Serbia walks his way with the cannons. They nod to each other too busy with their own problems to talk, before Serbia remembers something.

"Hey, we're still on the same side, right?" she asks.

Austria sharply turns giving her an even sharper look. "Yes" he says and turns hastly. "Ah, good" Serbia smiles and continues on her way.

Next scene: Still-shots of some field and forest battles. "Despite the reinforcements, the Ottomans could not defeat the Serbs in any major battle. In 1806, Karađorđe's army managed to take over Belgrade" she narrates as we see still-shots of fighting inside the city and, finally, her watching a large group of Serbs celebrate their victory inside the fortress. She brotherly pats a good-looking young man wearing Ottoman clothes on the shoulder. He smiles, throws his turban away, revealing his short shiny black hair, and puts his hand on a Roman-style scabbard adorned with Celtic symbols. His outfit seems an interesting mix of different clothing styles.

"However, we were still greatly outnumbered" she narrates. The frame fades in back in the room of a village house.

Next scene: _(1809.)_ "We can't wait for Russia's men any longer. We need to take the south now before enemy reinforcements arrive" an energetic man yells at Serbia. The others look at their country figure waiting for a response.

"If he said he'll send help, he'll send help" she replies calmly.

"The Russians did help out at Negotin" an older man says.

"A group of 1000 soldiers. Against tens of thousands of Ottoman's soldiers on their way" he yells outraged. "We have been fighting for 4 years now. Isn't it obvious by now that empires only care about themselves! We have to take matters into our own hands or we'll lose everything we gained..." the man replies slightly loosing his temper.

"Tell me something. Why do you think we aren't elbow deep in enemy soldiers right now?" Serbia interrupts.

"Because they're too busy fighting Russian troops in Wallachia and Moldovia" another elder replies calm.

"That's right. Without it things would not go as smoothly for us… I say we wait!" she yells determined.

The man takes a deep breath and continues: "The moment is right, we just need to act on it now. If we hesitate, we'll lose everything." His legs move towards the door as he looks for support from the others. All have their heads bowed or avoid eye-contact. Serbia looks to the side expressionless with her arms folded. The young man looks at his commander who is also silent. He sits down frustrated.

"Looking back on it, I can clearly say that it was the age of valour..."

Scene of a dirt trench with a few young Serbia men shooting at numerous enemies. Their commanders, two brothers with wound so sever they could not stand, shoot as they cheer them on.*1

"chivalry (чојство)..."

A scene of Karađorđe running the streets of Belgrade screaming: "Don't take it out on the women and children! Don't take it out on their weak!" He stops frustrated and shoot two soldiers who were chasing after an old Turk.

"sense of adventure..."

A scene of another tall and dark hero riding the mountain path. By his side, his young petite wife follows along on her own horse. She has a pistol and a dagger on her belt.*2

"and self-sacrifice."

The scene of the young man that complained. He is out in the open looking unnerved towards the field covered in advancing enemy soldiers. He looks for reinforcements from the other trenches. They are ordered to stay put. The enemy soldiers charge, the outcome is inevitable. He tells his men: "Run while you can!" but they don't budge. Then, as the enemies enter the trench, within an arms length of him, he fires his flintlock pistols into the gun powder. An explosion is heard as the screen fades to white.*3

"The battle for Niš was lost with a great number of casualties. Again, the Ottoman vizier thought that people will be silenced with a violent show of power." Scene of a square building with skulls embedded in it. "But that didn't happen."

Next scene: A boat floats peacefully across the Danube. Wallachia is in it. As he comes to shore, he hands the letter to Serbia.

We see it and in Russia's voice we read:

"Dear Serbia,

Sorry for the long wait. I have sent the aid you requested. I know it is not a lot but it is the best I can do. Wish you all the best in reclaiming your territories.

Good luck,

The Russian Empire"

She hugs the paper smiling.

"We continued winning. There were even talks of reaching Montenegro's place...but them..."

Next scene: _1812._ A pair of slender trembling hands hold a letter. We see Serbia grinding her teeth. Her eyes tear up as we hear the content of the letter in Russia's voice:

"Dear Serbia,

I fear I have terrible news. Due to the advances of France and his boss, I am forced to end my campaign against the Turks. **(We see an epic still-shot of France dramatically pointing towards Russia who is standing proud, the map of Europe is beneath their feet** **and the cosmos above them** **)**

Words cannot describe how sorry I am.

Best of luck,

The Russian Empire"

She swears frustrated and tears up the letter.

Next scene: _7\. October 1813._ Serbia is clenching a rifle, sitting against a stone wall, breathing heavily. What is left of her men is ready to fight.

"It's over. Just give up and maybe I won't turn you into pulp" Ottoman says calmly standing outside the fortress with an army so massive they seem to reach the horizon.

She laughs hysterically: "Do you know why they call you the sick man of Europe? Because you're a brut. The lowest of the low. You swelled up to-fat-to-function and then let incompetent people run a mock with territories you were to busy to pay any attention to. In all your years of reign you never evolved into nothing more that a simple-minded tyrant!"

Ottoman is angered by this and orders an attack: "I'll make you eat those words!"

As the battle rages, the Ottoman manages to jump over the wall breaking the bricks beneath him. -Growling, he turns his masked face towards the small nation figure. They stare at each other. With pure hatred in her eyes, Serbia points a flintlock rifle at him and shoots. The screen fades to black.

A black screen. "All that blood, all those sacrifices, all that determination. All for what? For what? Damn it! I need a way to set myself free." she narrates heartbroken.

 _Hope you enjoyed this very very short portrayal of FSU. It is really fascinating stuff if you are a history buff and I encourage you to research more. Here are some notable names and I haven't even scratched the surface:_

 _*1 Braća Nedić (Браћа Недић)_

 _*2 Hajduk Veljko and Čučuk Stana (Хајдук Вељко и Чучук Стана)_

 _*3 Stevan Sinđelić (Стеван Синђелић)_


	38. preview 2

Preview 2

 _Days after WW1_

A park path dramatically dimmed. A pair of heavy black boots steps forward. Serbia, who is a dress inspired by her old military uniform, stands terrified holding her arms close to her chest. Her panic-stricken eyes are wide, her brown straight hair shakes as well as the rest of her body and there is a white bandage on her left cheek.

"Yes, I have finally found the answer" the nation formally known as Russia speaks glowing purple as the background turns even darker. His grey coat is torn and he has a black cap half covering his face while his eye shines red.

"This isn't right. This isn't you. Please stop" she cries.

"All will be right now. My people will be truly happy" he says while the frame moves to his brainwashed expression to a strange symbol above his head. It has an electric hum, glows purple and is a mix of geometrical shapes like a pyramid, square, triangle etc. that constantly rotate.

Serbia turns and runs away as fast as possible.


	39. Chapter 37

_End of winter 1815.- two years after FSU_

A decent-looking room with a single middle-aged man inside dressed in Ottoman attire. Commotion and yelling is heard from the corridor. Ottoman blasts the door furious, launching a metal cage with someone banging and screaming disgusting remarks inside. It hits the floor with a loud clang. The masked empire turns to the man whose black moustache twitches in panic.

"This is your responsibility now. Sort it out by any means necessary because if you fail...if he doesn't kill you, I will!" he says and walks out holding his head with his trembling hands.

A single drop of sweat falls from the man's temple. He approaches the cage cautiously. It is so small that he has to kneel in order for them to be the same height. "My fatherland, do you remember my voice. It's Miloš Obrenović" he says in a calming manner. The noise stops. He whispers: "I will let you out but only if you swear to me that you will not kill me or run away."

Next scene: A cage in full screen. Bars are cast so thick that you can barely see its insides. A reply finally comes: "I don't know Grand Vožd appointed by the sultan. Why should I make such a promise to you?"

The man sighs and continues in a low voice: "Because I fought for you. I didn't run away like the others. In this moment, I am your greatest son and friend. My homeland, if you allow me, I will explain everything but only, and only if you remain calm." He is staring anxiously at the cage.

After a minute, a dissatisfied murmur is heard from it: "Fine. I promise I won't kill you or run away. Now hurry up and get me out off here!"

Next scene: Serbia is stretching. Her stiff neck and shoulders crack finally having some space. "So, that's the plan?" she says in a much calmer mood.

Miloš who is sitting opposite her says: "Yes. Until then, I will have to keep up my front of a loyal servant of the empire. That means you have to stay put."

Serbia sips from a tiny porcelain coffee cup. "I can't say I'm trilled about it but I must obey. You are in a way my boss." The Grand Vožd is pleased by this statement and offers a toast with has shot glass.

The frame zooms in on Serbia as she takes her glass. "I can't say he was one of the most heroic in the uprising, but he was one of the smartest" we hear her thoughts.

Flashback: FSU, Battle of Mišar. The Serbian army is hidden in a trench awaiting the Ottoman troops. Karađorđe gives an order: "You will fire on my command only. Anyone who disobeys will be shot." As the enemy cavalry approaches, the men lay in wait. A single shot is heard.

"Who did that?" Karađorđe snaps. A young man rises and with him Miloš Obrenović who calmly explains: "If you please, this young fighter was right to shoot so he could kill an enemy scout pointing out our location to his side."

"Did he kill him?" Karađorđe asks. "Yes. The bullet landed right between his eyes" he answers. Karađorđe is relieved: "That's a good sign."

"We won that battle...I guess, he will do…Yes, he will do...For now" we hear her think.

Next scene: _April 23, 1815._ _Takovo._ A group of men gathered in a semi-circle. The Grand Vožd steps out seeming nervous. "The time has finally come" Serbia narrates.

We see him holding a white flag with a golden cross. "Here I am. Here you are. War to Turks!" he says not looking overly determined. The crowd cheers, a priest says a prayer and I take his hand raising it high. He jerks it out soon after, his expression turning a bit sour.

"Everyone ignored his lack of enthusiasm. After all, he wasn't as brave as Karađorđe. He was a mere trader when the first uprising started. Probably worried how this would affect the pig trade" she narrates throughout the scene.

Next scene: The clinging of weapons and cannon fire. The young Serb warriors cheer another victory. Obrenović looks into the distance, deep in thought. Serbia runs towards him pumped up. "What's next boss?" she asks excited with her eyes opened wide.

He stands silently. "We negotiate a peace" he finally speaks.

"What?" she says confused.

"You heard me. More than enough blood was spilled over these 11 years. Come, we have to put things into motion" he turns and walks away from the battle field. Serbia cautiously follows taking a quick glance back from time to time.

Next scene: A palace room. Miloš Obrenović talks to high-ranking dignitaries who listen and nod.

"He was true to his word. The delegates came soon. The way he spoke and interacted with them was artistry. Very quickly he managed to persuade them to acknowledge my principality.

A dark-blue background. "Of course, it was a bit easier now that the tides have turned on the world stage" Serbia narrates as we see France sulking and Russia with his signature smile stands victorious.

Next scene: Grand Vožd's office. Serbia and Obrenivić are observing Belgrade. He is showing off his new attire. There are a few Serbian motifs added to his clothing and has a white cape. Serbia makes a face.

"Is the cape too much? I wanted something flashy to match my name." Belgrade smiles swinging it from one side to another.

 ***[Belgrade is actually pronounced B-E-O-G-R-A-D and means The White City]**

With the Vožd, she moves several footsteps away and whispers: "I'm not really sure about this."

"I assume you are not talking about the cape" he adds jokingly. "What is it?"

"Is it a good idea to have the capital that is literary on the boarder? He is well fortified, but still..."

"The Austrian officials were trilled with the idea."

"Of course they were. If Austria ever decided to invade he would be at the gates within a minute" she says sarcastically.

They turn to look at the city figure that waves to them still smiling.

"You worry to much. He will hold, just wait and see" Obrenović reassures her. Serbia is still worried. He puts his hand on her shoulder and adds: "If you are not satisfied with him you can relieve him off his duties after reclaiming your land back."

Serbia agrees with a nod. She turns to Belgrade opening her arms. "Will you give me the honour of serving as my capital?" she says ceremoniously. The handsome dark-haired man clasps his hands and runs towards her.

The frame moves to Vožd's face who observes shocked by what he just observed. The frame moves back to Serbia who is now alone. The white cape falls on the floor.

"Incredible. How?" he says with his mouth open. Serbia smiles: "I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. It's simpler that way."

At that moment, the Ottoman Mayor is announced. The Vožd greets his guest respectfully.

"Your men are getting arrogant. They are spreading their authority more and more, completely ignoring the jurisdiction of my men" the mayor says.

"Is that so. That is an outrage" the Vožd says kindly offering the mayor to sit. "Why don't you tell me what happened" he says reassuringly. Serbia, feeling her presence is no longer needed, exits the office. From the corridor we hear a muffled conversation as she walks away.

"Are you satisfied with your accommodations?"

"Yes, but it is like I never leave my house. I'm a governor. I must be allowed to do my job!"

"Of course, of course, oh gracious Vizier, but still it can be dangerous for you..." we hear as the scene ends.

Next scene: Two groups of soldiers outside the fortified city. They have their ceremony uniforms. Drums are heard in the back. One group has a large golden key. The Vizier, holding the key with both hands steps forward. From the opposite side, Vožd does the same. They meet in the middle and exchange pleasantries as the Ottoman governor gives the key to the Vožd. This acknowledged him as the official ruler of the Serbian Principality in the eyes of the Ottoman Empire.

A spectator whispers to his friend: "Why are they doing this? It's so boring and pompous."

"They seem to be enjoying it" his friend replies pointing with his chin at two national figures. Both shed a single tear but for entirely different reasons. Ottoman turns to Serbia and says: "I hope we will be able to be friends one day." Serbia puts on a fake smile.

"What should I say? I'm not done reclaiming my land. Still, he really did try to be nice since Obrenović took control" we hear her think.

Feeling uncomfortable with the long pause, Ottoman stares at the smaller figure. Serbia clears her trout and declares: "Whenever I think of coffee, I'll think of you" which makes him happy.

A scene of the ruler of the newly established principality talking to a minister. "My Lord, how will our national symbols look like?"

Obrenović ponders and then announces: "The flag should be a tri-color of red, blue and white. In honour of our Russian brothers. They will appreciate it."

The minister nods in agreement.

Next scene: An empty sea beach. Light waves cover the fine sand. "So, that's what's new with me? What about you?" Serbia, in her male outfit, says walking on the beach with her childhood friend now known as Greece.

"I see. Any news from Karađorđe?" he asks.

"Nothing new. He's still hiding out in Russia."

"I hope he returns soon. He is an inspiring presence" Greece says excited.

"I didn't know you liked him so much" Serbia adds slightly surprised.

"Your accomplishments ignited the flames in many areas of the Balkans. I can finally say without hesitation that our days of servitude are over. No more crushed rebellions, no more false hope – finally" he says with a mystical smile. Serbia smiles back: "I couldn't agree more."

Next scene: _1817._ Back at her place. Serbia goes pass her boss' office when she hears his voice.

"Where are you going?" he asks blunt.

"Out" she replies raising her eyebrow.

"Meeting someone?" he speaks seeming angry.

Serbia is not intimidated. "As a matter of fact, I am" she says and continues walking. "He'll only bring us trouble. All we...all I worked so hard to achieve for you...for all of us will be destroyed" Obrenović says with a raspy voice.

She turns: "Oh come one. Are you afraid he will overthrow you? Not after I talk to him. Together with your diplomatic skills and Karađorđe's abilities we will free all of the people in no time."

"Does Karađorđe seem like a man willing to share anything?!" the Vožd is furious. "He'll only lead us into another war."

Serbia frowns: "Serbs need their hero!"

"Serbs need to come to their senses!...They think fighting for your country is noble and heroic. Just like you!" he points at her. "You think being a good fighter is your greatest characteristic but you're wrong. You're not an empire who can lose thousands of men without blinking? Every battle you ever fought was won by cunningness. You hid, ambushed and used your surroundings as cover. Why can't you use that skill outside the battlefield?"

The effect of these words is clearly visible on her face. She stands dumbstruck with her head bowed.

"Furthermore our allies don't want him here. Having all this in mind, as your boss I forbid you from having any contact with that man" he says and moves in the opposite direction.

"No. Please don't do that to me" she pleads. "It's an order" the Vožd yells as he walks away.

A scene of her distressed expression is followed by a narration: "Not long after, Karađorđe was gone. His death made me see the many flaws of my so-called boss. No one really liked him. Not his men, not the people, not even his family. He was a womanizer, power-hungry and greedy. Still, it was him who finally got me my freedom..."

Next scene: _1858._ A group of finely-dressed older Serbs enter the room of now Prince of Serbia. They are rich land-owners. "My Lord we are here to ask you to give us the lands previously owned by the Ottomans." He is casually sitting observing them with a smirk: "So you want to be feudal lords do you? I don't think so. That land belongs to the people."

There was a commotion in the group. "But my Lord..."

"No buts about it...We agreed to pay the Ottomans a large sum of money for our freedom. Who do you think is paying for it? With all the taxes and me as their leader, adding another burden to the peoples' back would be too much, don't you agree?" Obrenović says.

"At least give us titles" the land-owner was persistent.

"Alright, you are Lord Puppy-pant, you are Grand Duke of Farts and you are Earl of Mud*"

* **{He didn't say those actual words but you get the idea}**

They all left disappointed. The frame moves in on his confident expression.

"And that's the story of how I got my own place. My first boss, I have to admit, was disliked by many. This greatly influenced how his heirs were treated. However, he did his job well and left an extraordinary legacy" the narration ends.


	40. Chapter 38

_World Academy W_

A fairly modern but small looking living room with the open bar counter separating it from the even smaller kitchen area.

"I just don't know what to do Mam, once Alfred gets stuck on you it's hard to shake him off" Yasna who is on the high table with her face buried into her folded arms speaks.

Her mother is a blond middle-age woman with a face of a model and hourglass figure. She sighs washing a glass in the sink: "I understand honey. I wish I knew how to help you but I really don't have the answer to this one."

Yasna lifts herself up quickly. "I'm not doing this. Tell the school I'm terminally ill and that I won't..."

"No!" her mother interrupts. "You have to go to school. If you don't go to school, you won't graduate and I will not allow that" she says putting the glass in the cupboard closing it shut with a loud bang.

"Just for a few days...Maybe this settles until then" the young girl pleads.

"I said no. You just managed to improve your grades…" she says strict and grabs her temples with one hand. "Look, you're a smart girl. I'm sure you'll think of something. Now, what do you want for dinner?" mam replies to which Yasna slouches forward depressed.

Next scene: A middle-aged man in a cheap business suit and briefcase walks in the front door. He has dark hair, a five o'clock shadow and is a few kilograms short of a healthy weight. He loosens his tie with his tanned stringy fingers before entering the room.

"Dad!" Yasna jumps out of her chair to embrace him. He smiles and hugs her: "How is my little girl?"

Mam, not looking so happy, opens a beer and slides it to him saying: "She has an unwanted suitor."

"Ah I see. Is he rich? Strong? Did he ask about the dowry?" he asks Yasna, ignoring mom's attitude as he sits on the sofa with his drink.

"Dad, I don't like him! All he does is bully people. He and his gang were really mean to me in the past" Yasna says.

"I see. Is he a great warrior feared by others?" he continues.

"Yes."

"Well then you should definitely be nice to him. That way he may put you under his protection" dad says calmly. Yasna opens her mouth to explain but her mother interrupts: "Don't even bother asking him for advice!" She turns to him and continues angry: "Like you know anything about her life. You're barely here."

"I travel for work, woman. You of all people should appreciate that" he says annoyed.

Yasna facepalms herself as the argument continues.

Next scene: An hour later. Yasna is going upstairs and passes the room of her big brother Šćepan. It is filled with different kinds of do-not-disturb stickers with strange music coming from it. She goes into her room and lies on the bed. Muffled yelling is still heard. Yasna, still worried, covers her ears with a pillow and goes to sleep.

Next scene: In the morning, Yasna sits down at the table while her mam serves her and her brother breakfast.

"Where's dad?" she asks.

"Oh, he left early. Another business trip."

Yasna looks at her plate with her lips pressed tight.

"Is something the matter honey?" mam asks softly.

"I was just thinking...Maybe if you were nicer to dad he wouldn't be so absent all the time" Yasna says with her head down. Šćepan looks at both of them curious at what mam's reaction would be. She looked at her daughter at first surprised and them smiles.

"Actually my dear, I'm doing us a favour. You wouldn't like him as much if he was always here, trust me" she says and adds another fried egg to her plate.

Next scene: At the school entrance, the tourism club has opened up a booth. Dalila Kali Kikwete is waving cheerfully. She speaks offering everyone pamphlets: "Come and see the beautiful mountain Kilimanjaro. It's the tallest peak in all of Africa. Snow cap in a hot place, can you imagine! We also have wild animals and..." Yasna takes one but is too distracted with her own thoughts to hear the rest.

She scans the hallway for Alfred, and is relieved when she does not find him. "Oh man, what am I going to do? I must be the unluckiest girl in the school" she thinks right as she passes an extremely malnourished Muslim girl whose stomach churns so loudly she is tempted to look for food in the trash can.

Opening her locker, Yasna is startled by Alfred's voice. "Hey, there. Where did you head off last night? Didn't have a chance to say goodbye." As she turns, putting on her brave face, she sees that he is accompanied by Jaime, his oil-rich Muslim friend. He is wearing the same uniform with the addition of a white head covering _(called a keffiyeh)_ held together with black cord _(agal)_. Jaime looks at Yasna curious, as the girl from before stares at him angry.

"Sorry I zoned off like that. It must have looked weird" Alfred says putting his hand on the back of his head.

"Oh no need to apologize. It...happens" Yasna says faking a smile.

Alfred leans closer and whispers: "You didn't tell anyone about that, did you?" She shakes her head left to right to which he seems relieved. Before he can say anything else, the girl in the back scrunches some paper and throws it at Jaime, hitting him straight in the head.

"Who threw that?" he yells turning sharply. Alfred is alerted and looks in the same direction.

"I did" the covered girl says with her small voice.

"It must've been Amir Gilgamesh. Let's go" Jaime says and Alfred agrees.

"No, it was me!" the girl repeats louder this time but her voice is still very small.

"See you later" Alfred winks at Yasna before he runs off. Yasna tilts her head a little and smiles not believing her luck.

Next scene: At the cafeteria, lunch time. Reaching her table, Yasna cannot help but notice a few heads turning her way. Enis waits for her impatiently and even stands up to pull up her chair. Ivan and Natalya are observing her with raised eyebrows. As she waves to them, they do the same slowly as if stunned. An arm comes out of nowhere and falls on her shoulder. Alfred smiles and turns towards Ivan as if taunting him.

"You know, you should really get a better place to sit" moving her towards his table.

Yasna, feeling a little fed up, retorts: "This is becoming ridiculous! Can you please stop popping up everywhere. I want to eat my lunch in peace!"

"Relax, I just want you to meet the gang" he says calmly.

"I already know your gang. Everyone in this school knows your gang" she says digging her heels into the floor which does not help at all.

They pass like that the west European table where Antonio is enjoying his paellas while his female friend is enjoying her waffles. In the north part, a group of blond students are discussing bands that sounded way too brutal to be enjoyed with such neat exteriors. There is also the table of brothers who mostly kept to themselves which was good because no one really understood what they were talking about. They would just yell weird phrases during a heated discussion and one or more had necklaces with black crosses and weird symbols.

Finally, the main table was nearly full. They all stare at Yasna who blushes from all the attention. Francis generously offeres her to sit next to him but Arthur objects: "You can't be here. The school rules specifically forbid students from being outside of their geopolitically predetermined seats."

"What are you talking about, we are sitting together and we're from all over the place" Alfred interrupts.

"That's because I did the necessary paperwork" Arthur replies.

"What paperwork?" says Alfred and others turn to the bushy-brow student.

"The one that allows all sorts of things, even extra servings even though each student should get only one" Arthur concludes.

The scene goes to the tiny covered girl from before sliding her empty tray to the serving platform that is empty once again. She starts whimpering.

Yasna smiles politely. "Oh well, rules are rules for those who have to follow them. I'll be going now" she says and leaves them to their daily business.

 _Hi! Do you like the family drama I added? I figured it would flesh out my OC a little despite not really making a lot of sense history-wise. Not everything has to do so. Take care!_


	41. Chapter 39

_**The late Roman Empire, a.k.a Byzantium**_

We see Byzantium in her luxury palace garden discussing something angrily with her boss.

"After her creation and the loss of her family, Byzantium was left all alone..." the narrator speaks as we see a dark background whit a young boy and girl dressed in Roman togas. The boy, Byzantium's brother, is being taken somewhere by the original Roman Empire while she waves at them with tears in her eyes. The scene fades to black.

Next scene: Back at the garden, the same scene as before. "...to learn how to survive in a changed world and govern herself appropriately. And we have to say, she owned it. She knew how to assert herself..." the narrator speaks.

Byzantium advises her boss: "I'm tired of Bulgaria's shenanigans. Have half of his army blinded and the rest with only one eye and see if he does it again." She crosses her arms determined as her boss nods considering and expanding on the idea.

Next scene: "...was an especially skillful engineer..." the narrator continues. A scene of Byzantium in a flowy silk dress with a golden hard hat in medieval style looking over some plans. "We need to fortify the main wall and this aqueduct has to be repaired by fall. How is that church coming along?" she says to a human constructor.

Next scene: "...and an experienced state official." She sits at a large heavy table covered in maps. "Alright then. I think we should divide and conquer this area. Send a delegation with tributes here. Send an army there. Reclaim this. Leave that alone and check how they are implementing Christianity here" she says moving her pointer to specific locations on a map. Byzantium then yawns and asks: "Is that all?" The frame turns to a group of older men including the emperor. "We still need to go over the capital's budget for this year" one says to which Byzantium lets out a long tired sigh.

Net scene: She is sitting on her throne seeming extremely dignifying. Her guard, a strong barbarian type, is diligently doing his duty. The frame slowly zooms in on her face as we hear the narrator again: "Her empire lasted a thousand years. However, it wasn't all work and no play. Byzantium knew how to have fun." Her lips go slightly upward.

Next scene: The Hippodrome of Constantinople filled to the brim with cheering spectators. Bellow are a few chariots being pulled by galloping horses. Byzantium pops out of a high balcony, half of her face painter blue shouting from the top of her voice: "Come on Blues! Did you harness your horses or your mules! Shows those Greens who's the boss!" She rushes inside and reappears on the parallel balcony. We see the other part of her face which is painted green. "Come on Greens! Don't let those weaklings push you around! Go for the win!"* The crowd continues cheering.

* _Before them, the popular teams were White and Reds. Frankly, I prefer the later version. Blues and Greens are just easier to recognise from a far._

 _ **World Academy W**_

A few days has past since the last story. It's gym class. Students are in their gym outfits. Yasna sees Alfred. "He haven't spoken since that day in the cafeteria. Huh. I guess he got over the whole idea" she smiles at the notion. Alfred spots her and immediately walks towards her. "Rats!" she thinks with a smile still frozen on her face.

"Hey, what's up?" he says in a friendly manner.

"Not much" she replies seemingly calm.

Alfred puts his palm on the back of his head. "Listen, I'm sorry I came on strong. I didn't show myself in a good light, did I?"

"Kind of" she replies carefully.

"Got it. I just want you to know that I won't harass you any longer. Still, it would be nice if we hanged out sometimes. I really do want to help you free yourself from any brainwashing influences" he says genuinely concerned.

Yasna stares at him confused. "Thank you" she blurs out. Alfred seems happy with this. "No problem. I'm looking forward to help" he says in such a way that makes her believe it.

Wang Yao grabs a basketball and shouts: "Who wants free throws?" Alfred immediately answers excited and excuses himself.

"Maybe he isn't..." we hear her thoughts before her own personal and very real memories overflow her mind and she snaps out of it. "Yeah right. Next thing you are going to tell me is that you aren't responsible for that little monster boy who keeps making my life miserable!" she mumbles and a thought bubble appears with her standing in front of her vandalized locker that very same morning. The words "I'll get you this time" are spray-painted on along with his little map.

Angry, she joins the group around the hoop. Francis smiles observing her intrigued. Yasna feels uncomfortable. "What?" she asks.

"What did you do? How did you make Alfred follow you around like a puppy dog?" he asks as she prepares for the shot.

"I am not sure but whatever it was, he's gonna lose interest once I kick his arse in his favourite sport" she says and her ball flies directly into the hoop.

"I see" Francis says grabbing the ball and shoots it into the hoop.

"Wow, I didn't know you could play so well" she says.

"But of course, I love sports, I simply don't want to ruin my hair" Francis winks.

Alfred is next. He misses and seems slightly embarrassed about it. Other students line up awaiting their turn. "Yes. I'm winning" Yasna thinks recounting her shots on a mental scoreboard. Basketball shots are heard in the back. On the mental board, she has a better score than Alfred. After a while, Wang Yao declares: "Our winner is Camila Rodriguez."

Yasna is in shock as her mental board moves up and we see she is in fifth place. "What!" she screams "I'm never fifth! How can I be fifth?! I'm always in the top three!" The others look at her with raised eyebrows. "I focused too much on beating him. I didn't pay attention to the others" she thinks puffing out a sigh in a slouching position. "Good game" Alfred manages to say with a smile but is clearly unhappy with the result. The bell rings ending the class.


	42. Chapter 40

_**Winter 1835.**_

Ottoman sits depressed. He smokes from his nargile slowly, deep in thought.

"I have to say, dear friend, I do hate seeing you like this" the screen jumps to Britain who is calmly sipping his tea on the sofa. Then the screen jumps to France next to him who sympathetically nods. "It's not easy watching your empire crumble. I should know" France adds with a deep sigh.

Ottoman does not respond. He stares into a spot slowly dubbing his finger. Austria stands behind him with his arms folded. "Where is he? We have to start the meeting" he says impatiently to Prussia who is enjoying the view from one of the enormous windows. The room has lots of them and through each a tranquil baby blue sky with and occasional puffy cloud is seen. The rest of the room is filled with all types of maps, comfortable chairs and coffee tables. There are lots of small trinkets too, memorabilia from various battles and hunting expeditions.

"You should have given the minorities more freedoms and in exchange tax them heavily" France declares taking a glass of wine.

"No, no… The problem is you relied too much on physical brutality to keep the peace. You should have been more cunning and lure them into a false sense of security before you snatch the rug right under their feet" Britain adds.

"Ha! Nonsense, in my opinion you were not brutal enough. If I were you I would assimilate the common folk centuries ago" Prussia laughs.

"It's funny that you have so many suggestions now. When all of these troubles started, you were all quick to say that I should stop it anyway I know how" Ottoman finally speaks.

"It doesn't matter" Austria speaks. "What's done is done. Now, what are we going to do about Serbia's new constitution?"

"We can't start without Russia" Britain says. "What in the world is taking him so long?"

A blunt thump is heard. The others turn their gaze towards the door. The thump was getting lauder and lauder until the door was violently opened. Russia entered greeting everyone with his usual smile. "Sorry, I'm late. I had trouble accessing the stairs" he says showing his chark black hand holding a smoking door knob. Others move back revolted by it.

"Who forgot to place Russia onto the invited list?" Britain asks to which France facepalms himself.

"Doesn't matter. Now what is this meeting all about?" Russia asks.

"Serbia has created a constitution?" Austria says.

"Really? Isn't he still part of Ottoman?" Russia continues.

"Exactly" Ottoman replies.

"Not, only that, the document is clearly inspired by France's republic. It abolishes the feudal system, proposes that the king has the same rights as the parliament and it makes us all look like fools" Austria continues.

"Nice going France. I knew your little jump into madness will have lasting consequences on us all" Prussia says.

"Again, I am so sorry. I don't know where my head was back then" France says feeling guilty.

Britain adds a cup to his mouth before having a giggle attack.

"Alright, what are we going to do about it?" Russia asks sitting down pouring himself a drink.

"Obviously, we are going to persuade him to change it" Austria says. "Are you going to help us?" Ottoman turns to Russia.

"Of course" Russia says smiling. "He'll listen. He owes me and, to tell you the truth, I think he has a little crush on me."

 _ **Two weeks later**_

A couple of workers bring in some furniture into a freshly built office. Serbia stands near a wall observing two large paintings. Russia enters the room with a gentle knock. Serbia turns and gasps: "Russia, you should have mentioned you were coming. I would arrange a welcoming party."

He smiles: "Hello to you too. There is really no need for such ceremonious displays every time we meet. I was in the neighbourhood and thought I stop by and see a friend." Serbia smiles and shakes his hand eagerly.

"I like what you did with the place. It looks very European" he says looking around.

"Yes, the style has kind of grown on me" she replies. Russia's wandering eyes stop on the two paintings. Serbia notices and asks: "Do you like them? It's the two leaders of the revolt. Obrenović and Karađorđe."

"You put them next to each other?" Russia says with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, yes. You see, it's a metaphor. As you know, Karađorđe represents the Noble Warrior. He started out as a peasant, sure, but he intuitively followed the Code of Chivalry. That is why the people liked his so much. He was similar to the heroes our epics sing about. He followed the rules they grew accustomed to."

She turns to the other painting: "And then there is my current boss, also a peasant. A true Diplomat, cunning and ambitious. He somehow, through God-knows what means...gets the job done. No one, including me, knows what kind of rules he plays by, if he plays by any rules at all. That is why the people don't like him. I can't really say I blame them. Still, both are important. Both have a specific role to play..."

"I like your boss. I hope you don't take that against him" Austria's voice unexpectedly interrupts her. Serbia, swiftly turn and is jolts see both him and the Ottoman Empire standing next to Russia.

"Why are you here?" Serbia asks moving her eyes from one solemn face to another.

Russia sighs: "We need to talk about your constitution."

"Oh" Serbia says a little relieved. "I figured you'd object but I didn't know it would be this fast."

"Are you going to fix it?" Ottoman asks. Serbia nods sad. "Alright then" Austria speaks. The screen moves up as they walk out and then it fades away.


	43. Chapter 41

_Russia – introduction_

A completely white background. Enters chibi Russia in what appears to be clothes from the 11. or 12. century. "Why hello there" he greets us chipper. "Would you like to hear a story?"

Next scene: Some still-shots that follow his story. "It all started with Slav tribes that inhabited the north-eastern part of Europe. Bloody raids were common and the winters were harsh so you can imagine how difficult life was. From all the raiders back then, the Vikings were the worst. Yes, worse than the Tartars or Mongols as you may know them. So stop idolizing them! They were cold and merciless. Believe me, you wouldn't want them in your neighbourhood. Sadly, I had no choice."

Next scene: We see him as a young boy as he was drawn in the Hetalia episodes seeming scared and lost. "And yet somehow, my people managed to form some kind of union. That is how Kievan Rus was created in the late 9th century. Then I got Christianity from Byzantium. This nice lady introduced us to a completely new concept of a soul" he narrates as the frame returns to him in the white room.

He puts his finger on his chin and adds: "I wonder, if the soul is supposed to be pure...and with us the whole time...What is it like for it when people do evil things? Does it watch powerless to stop it?" he says and a little blue raindrop spirit appears in a bubble cloud clenching his little pointy legs and rocking back and forward saying ' _the horror, the horror_ ' with a traumatised look on his face. The thought bubble bursts as Russia continues: "Nah, that's just silly."

"The next thing I want to tell you about is my personal hero Alexander Nevsky. He inspired me to be what I am today. He ruled from 1236 to 1240. You remember that battle on ice with Prussia" we see clips from that episode. "Yes, that was his doing. If you want to learn more about what exactly happened, I can recommend a really good Russian black-and-white talkie called Alexander Nevsky. Along with being a great military strategist and wise leader, he was also canonised."

"Still, life was very difficult and I was still so very young and weak. Another good movie, Andrei Rublev(Russian: Андрей Рублёв) is inspired by that period. That's right, I'm not just good in making literature, I can make a decent movie too."

We see Russia in the room again, his face becomes sad as he reminisces and the screen moves in. "I hope this will help you understand my melancholy better. There were so many...too many times I could have vanished from the face of the earth. I was chased around by all my neighbours, nature was cruel to me, I had some bad bosses and I made some big mistakes" he sighs. "But I wasn't destroyed. I survived each time. And I'm here now, bigger and stronger than I ever thought I would be. That is what I remember every time hardships come my way. I think to myself 'you overcame worse' and then I do. I always do" he says it with a genuine smile and the screen fades to white.

 _Hey, you may be thinking why the movie references. Well, to be honest, I'm not really qualified to talk about the Russian mentality because I'm not Russian. I never lived there and I can only guess from what I know. That is why this text is probably really bad. Still, I like their movies and these two really had great stories. If you want, here are some more Sci-Fi/Fantasy recommendations just for fun: 'The Night Watch', 'The Day Watch', 'Salyut 7' and 'Ice'. Literature and art is a good way to learn about different cultures so don't be scared by the subtitles, embrace them. That's all for now. Take care._


	44. Chapter 42

**Byzantium 12th century**

The hallway of the East Roman Empire's palace. We hear clanging footsteps and see an armored warrior in full strut. The figure moves forward, sword in one hand and a helmet in the other. The frame moves up to the head and we see the face of the armor's owner. It's a teenager around seventeen. The face resembles the heroines' just a little prettier because of the full lips. Her skin is paler but the eyes stayed the same. She notices and greets us with a wink.

"Hi, there" she says with a confident smile "It's been a while, hasn't it? As you can see, things have changed. For the better of course."

We see a picture of Stefan Nemanja (Стефан Немања) framed in the corner of the screen as she continues to confidently stride. "This is my current boss. He helped me overcome the others in the region and now I'm in charge. The battles were intense. Good times through and through!" she reminisces with glee and continues: "So anyway, I assimilated some…The others live at my place or are kept as vassals. What can I say... We did grow up together, you know. Why not show a little mercy" she says as if bragging.

A large heavy door is seen appearing closer and closer. "I'm independent from Byzantium but we still keep in touch for strategic purposes. In fact, I'm going to see her right now. Oh, and I'm also thinking of changing my name" as she finishes, she pushes the door which burst open. A throne room is seen on the other side.

The empty throne is guarded by a robust personification. He has long blond hair with an occasional thin braid. His face is a slimmer and sterner version of Russia's. A narrator talks while we observe him closer: "Varangian, a representation of the pale and rather war-hungry gang of men from the northern part of the continent. How they came to serve Byzantium is a story she loves retelling...especially at dinner parties."

Flashback: One of the numerous sieges of Constantinople. We see a few men with long hairs and beards in front of the throne-rooms doors. It is exceptionally large in their eyes and they are in awe when it opens seemingly on its own. Inside are numerous treasures, fine carpets and flags with royal symbols. Every object in the room is made of gold. Metal animals that seem to magically sing and move cover every step of the large hall. On the throne is a single female figure covered from head to toe in royal purple embroided with gold and large jewels. The men's eyes cannot be spread wide enough to engulf all of the splendour. The female on the throne addresses them: "Thank you for agreeing to see me in my humble abode. I must say your army is very strong but you should not fool yourself into thinking that you will ever breach my walls. I know you lost many ships and that your men are tired. So why continue this futile quest when I have a better proposal."

One of the men says serious: "We are listening."

The figure stands as her jewels clang. She smiles and starts: "Well. How do you feel about trade?"

Next scene: Rashka looks at him, frowns and scans the room in search of takes one look at him, frowns and scans the room in search of Byzantium. She spots her nervously going over some papers and clears her throat.

Byzantium flinches. "Oh, I didn't expect you so soon, my child" she says hastily putting the papers away before greeting her guest. Rashka bows in a very formal but distant manner. "I have come for the supplies you promised several months ago."

"Yes...of course" Byzantium says distracted "wait here, I'll go and sort it out. Varangian, keep Rashka company" She exits the room in a hurry leaving Rashka and the guard.

Next scene: Byzantium returns. From the door, she is baffled to see that the two are sitting next to each other trading princess cards. Rashka gives him two cards which he takes with a thanks.*

 ***{Back in those days, Serbian princesses ended up in the darnest places. From what I know, one ended up way up north, while the other was Ivan the Great's maternal grandmother}**

Byzantium asks Rashka to come with her into a smaller room with a balcony. Varangian is told to stay back.

"I see you're busy making friends" Byzantium teases Rashka who doesn't seem in the mood for it.

"Yes, it is important for a young kingdom to make allies. Especially if the one's he depends the most are unreliable" she says serious. Byzantium exhales annoyed and points to some carts bellow: "You're supplies. Happy?"

Rashka takes a glance silent, biting her lip.

"Be assured that I didn't mean to leave you fighting Bulgaria and Hungary on your own. I just did not have time to arrange it because I was so busy here. Managing a large empire is not easy. Now that you have a place of your own, you should realize the problems that come with it" she says.

After some nodding Rashka continues: "Your guard... He kind of resembles Srb. Is that your type or something?"

Byzntium looks at her slightly confused. "I suppose he does. As for my type...well that is for me to know and for you not to ask stupid questions about" she tells her with a raised eyebrow.

Rashka looks at her own feet and back at her: "You replaced him pretty quickly, don't you think?"

Byzantium observes her face with her eyes wide open. "I don't see why that is a problem? I have many enemies. I need a bodyguard protecting me at all times" she says slowly. Rashka let's out a nervous giggle to which Byzantium loses her patients: "What is this all about?"

Sad and with her head bowed, Rashka asks: "Were you sad when my elders vanished?"

Byzantium finally understands. She motherly pats her on the head. "My child, of course I was" she says lovingly "But it is how the world works. Don't think of it as a bad thing. They lived out their life the best way they knew how. But times have changed and they didn't want to be part of it any more. Please understand, nobody forced them to go. They understood they had to leave so that a new generation will have its turn."

Rashka takes a step back and looks away. "How can you talk about my family like they were a pair of old sandals" she blurs almost bursting into tears.

"I did not mean it like that" Byzantium stretches out her arm only for it to be tossed aside. Hurt, Byzantium yells: "I don't see why you are so attached to them. They were no saints. Srb allowed his people to dismember others by tying them to horses that ran in four opposite directions."

"So!" the teen retorts.

"And don't think I don't know about the promise you made to that barefooted barbarian" Byzantium says irritated.

"Don't you talk about her like that!" Rashka yells back the way only an angsty young person can.

Hearing the commotion the guard rushes in with his axe but Byzantium stops him. "Rashka why are you treating me like this? I am the only elder family member you have left. I taught you everything you know. Provided shelter and clothing. Put you on the right path..."

"You know what? You are not as great as you claim to be. Don't think I haven't noticed your torn gowns or the missing jewels on your ornaments. Your power is crumbling and there is nothing you can do to stop it" the young kingdom interrupts.

With her face red from rage, Byznatium shouts pointing to the door: "Get out!"

Rashka runs out not even noticing Romanos who came after hearing the noise. We hear her steps clang through the hallways.

 **World Academy W**

We hear Yasna's narration while looking at the school. "Despite being weird, the school had an up side too. For example our science department was amazing."

A scene of a female chemistry teacher in full safety gear. She moves her hands swiftly like a ninja, managing to pour a few test tubes into some Erlenmeyer flasks, turn on the burner and add a powder substance into a beaker. "Remember children, chemistry studies matter which is a part of us and everything we do" she says while all kinds of dazzling, colourful and explosive reactions happen.

A scene of a male physics teacher in a dark classroom with glowing safety goggles. He laughs like a mad scientist and turns on a laser which lights up the classroom filled with impressed students. He aims the beam and manages to peel the skin of an apple. "Remember children, physics studies matter which governs us and everything we do."

A scene of a male biology teacher who hold up a dark cover like a magician. He shows the students a bunch of small cocoons and puts them underneath the cover. "Remember children, biology is a study of us and all living matter around us" he says as he swiftly takes the cover off and a the classroom is covered with a large amount of stunning butterflies.

Next scene: The screen is divided into three equal parts as the teachers appear in each, one by one. "It's the best!" they scream with super hero sounds amplifying their words. "Excuse me" we hear a voice of an unspecified student, the sound of a scratch record is heard, "Wouldn't it be better to combine your acquired knowledge and study matter that way?" The teachers stare at us serious and yell simultaneously: "Don't be ridiculous! Ain't nobody got time for that!"

Next scene: Yasna is pouring a chemical from a flask into a tube. "Mind if I join you?" she hears Ivan's voice. She turns to see him smiling next to her, lab coat and all. She glances at Natalya and Iryna who have paired up at the other table. "Of course" she says happy.

Next scene: After the class. They walk together through the hallway. Alfred passes them by but does not say anything. Ivan leans in and quietly asks: "Is he still bothering you?"

"Well, yes and no. He's nicer and less pushy these past few days" Yasna says. She doesn't notice that Ivan turns back and Alfred and him have a little stare-off.

Next scene: After school. The two decide to sit down in the school park. Sitting on the bench, they drink energy drinks and watch other students. Yasna observes Arthur talking to a group of European students.

"Will you look at that" she tells Ivan "Look at how tall he seems and how slouched they are." We see Arthur explaining something calmly while other listen and ask short questions. "I can't believe they are letting him get away with it."

"Mhm" Ivan says sipping his drink. She continues watching them. "And look at Časlov. He is just eating up his every word. Probably wishes to learn a new trick or two" she says with a serious expression on her face and takes a sip.

"You seem a bitter" Ivan notices to which she spits out her drink. "I'm not bitter. I simply think it's unfair. I mean take for example Časlov. He managed to persuade everyone that all of his evil doing are my fault. Do you know how mentally excruciating that is? I mean, he could chase me down the hallway with a knife and in the end I would be blamed. In the best case scenario we would both be told to 'calm down' while I was still being chased, mind you. It's like witchcraft" she says becoming stressed.

"So...did you have fun today?" Ivan tries to change the subject. Before she can reply, Antonio's shouting is heard. We see him waving a protest sign as he kicks a trash can over. Wang Jia Long is on the other side of the park, with a black surgical mask on, throwing rocks and yelling while taking a selfie. Chris Hlakanyana is blocking other students from passing and being pretty rude about it.

"Wow...these protests are getting out of hand. It's one thing to fight for your rights, but this is too much. And there are so many of them. It's hard to take them seriously when they're rioting, don't you think?" as she speaks we see Ivan's hand spread behind her on the bench.

"But enough about the bad stuff. Today was great, I really aprec-" she turns towards him and notices that his face is several centimetres away from hers. Their eyes lock.


	45. Chapter 43

**_End of 12th century_**

The interior of a stone covered room. Rashka with her elbows on the window looks outside frustrated. She is wearing a man's tunic and has her hair tied really tight with only shaggy bangs sticking out. She is observing court ladies chatting and giggling while doing chores in the garden bellow.

She sighs. "Damn, being a girl looks so much fun" we hear her thoughts "I wish I can grow my hair that long." She buries her face into her hands and mumbles a few swear words. Someone knocks on the door and informs her that the king (жупан) wants to talk to her.

Next scene: The throne room. Stefan Nemanja is explaining something to a confused Rashka. "How can you not understand this? It's very simple" he says slightly irritated.

"I get it. I do. I just don't see why you are so excited about it" she says still making a confused face.

"Land of my ancestors, I beg you to listen carefully" he says putting his hands together and continuing slowly, "In a few months, the crusaders will pass our land to go on their third crusade. They will be accompanied by The Holly Roman Emperor. I have already made arrangements and he has agreed to meet with us in order to discuss their passage through our territory."

"Yes, and when he does, you will try to persuade him to support us if Byzantium tries to reclaim our territory. That I understand. I just have a few issues with the plan. Foremost, the crusaders part. The previous two times they passed through this region were disastrous. Hungary still quivers any time someone mentions the First Crusade."

"Not to worry. This one is far better organized. They sent messengers and everything" Nemanja assures her.

"Also, why is it called The Holly Roman Empire when it is not Roman. The people are predominantly Germanic, right?"

"Right."

"And how can it be holly? You need a religious figure or a sign from God to do that."

"That's correct. I suppose it simply sounded good."

"And look at this map. It has more colors than a tapestry...What kind of empire is that when your territories can do whatever they want?"

"Who cares how they call themselves or run their household?! What is important is for us to find powerful allies that will support our sovereignty. Or do you want to be in Byzantium's shadow all your life?" he exclaims.

Rashka's expression turns solemn. She ponders quietly with her finger pressing her chin. Then she giggles: "Byzantium was probably furious when she heard about them coming."

Next scene: We only see her on the right side of the frame while the left is vacant. A thought bubble appears in the vacant spot showing a smiling Byzantium. She is leaning forward telling someone something in secret. "Do you know why I call foreigners barbarians? Because all that comes out of their mouth is bar-bar-bar." A small high-pitched voice laughs. "Do I sound like that?" the girly voice is heard again. "No, my sweet Rashka, of course not. Hmm what do you sound like?" she exaggerates her pondering expression "I know, like a cute little mouse." The girl giggles: "No!"

"Yes, you do. See!" Byzantium teases and starts to tickle her collocutor who squeaks and giggles even louder.

The thought bubble disappears. Rashka smiles nostalgically. Another thought bubble appears. This time Byzantium looks infuriated. Her bejewelled battle armor and matching helmet are pounded in and her spear is broken. "Fine! Have your own place! You think it's easy to run things on your own? You think you can handle that kind of pressure in a hostile world? Ha! Be my guest. You'll come crawling back sooner or later."

The thought bubble disappears again leaving our heroine both sad and angry. "Alright. Count me in" she says determined.

 _ **27th June 1189.**_

A set of long tables covered with festive cloths and set to match. Everything is swept clean and ready for the guests. Rashka, in a garment decorated with many metal plates, walks in to inspect it. She has a large double-headed eagle embroider in gold on her cloak both in front and in the back. Beside her is Nish (Ниш), formaly known as Naissus, wearing a white dress decorated with small golden emblems on the long sleeves stitched in such a way as to resemble the city's outer wall. Her wavy loose hair reaching her hips has shiny pearls imitating the sparkle of a river.

"Do I look alright?'" she nervously asks Rashka who barely glances at her.

She coldly replying, "Yeah, fine" and quickly looks away. Her face immediately changes to envious and we hear her thoughts: "It's absolutely gorgeous. Why can't I have an outfit like that?"

"Wow, the boss is really trying to impress our guests. He almost never has our best tableware set out" Nish says. Rashka picks up one golden spoon and groans: "I really hate these. They are so impractical."

"I just wish I didn't get so nervous every time we have someone over" Nish continues to panic. Rashka smiles reassuringly. "Relax, there is really nothing to worry about" she says calmly. "Now, if you'll excise me I have to drain the snake so to speak" Rashka announces almost ceremoniously.

"Oh please don't start" Nish says annoyed.

"Whatever do you mean" Rashka says calmly.

"Nobody is buying it. I mean you have changed after taking over but you cannot change your gender like that. It's just not how it's done" Nish scoffs.

"And you would know" Rashka says mockingly. "How can you say that after seeing me fight. How can I veiled a sword if I don't have a sword of my own, if you know what I mean" she says with a smirk.

Instead of rolling her eyes, Nish remains quiet before snickering. "Fine then. Show it to me."

"Like hell I will!"

"I won't tell anyone I promise."

"No."

"I'll even let you explore my underground tunnels* if you do" Nish continues to push.

 ***{It is believed that underneath the city of Nish, there is a wide network of tunnels, some as old as the city itself. Sadly, they are not explored enough}**

"What?!" Rashka says slightly panicking.

"Ha! I knew you were lying. Every male would jump from joy at such an opportunity" Nish points still snickering.

Rashka blinks a few times to buy time. "Oh, you meant like the humans do it" she says as if just getting it. "Eww. That's discussing. Grow up, will you."

Still, Nish seems determined. Before she can say another word, Rashka is saved by the king calling for them.

Next scene: At the city gates, the king with his entourage welcomes the foreign nobles on horseback. As the humans greet each other and exchange traditional pleasantries, the two representatives scan the group.

"Can you see him?" Nish asks quietly.

"No...wait, I think that's him" Rashka whispers.

We see a dashing young man whose armor is covered by a white cloak with a red cross embroider on his chest. He also appears to be searching for them. He approaches and bows making his feather-like bang bounce.

"Knight Templar. It is an honor to have you in our court" Rashka gracefully states.

"The pleasure is all mine" he courteously replies.

Stefan Nemanja approaches with Frederick Barbarosa and a few others.

"Majesty, may I present the representative of the Serbian people and our glorious kingdom" he says as Rashka bows.

"And this is our lovely city of Nish, who I intend to make our capital one day as I have stated in my letter" he continues. "It is an honor to have you here" she politely greets them with a bow.

After a few more pleasantries and the traditional exchange of gifts, some of them being domesticated wild animals, they all move to the dining hall.

Next scene: Everyone is seated, the ordervs are served and the musicians are playing a cheerful tune. The Night Templar, Rashka and Nish are sitting a table away from the main one.

"It is such a shame that the other representatives did not come" Rashka says while the drinks are being poured.

"Yes, it is a pity they cannot join our quest to save the Holy land. However, they are needed more back home. It is for that reason that I was created to protect the good people on this noble journey" he replies with a pleasant smile.

They look at the main table and notice Stefan Nemanja explaining something to Barbarosa.

"Your king speaks Latin really well" Templar says.

"Thank you. You should hear his Greek" she replies.

Next scene: The roasted beasts are served to everyones delight. Rashka and Nish automatically grab the utensils waiting for their guest to take the first piece. To their surprise, he picks a piece with his fingers and continues to eat it like that.

The girls observe him confused. Nish asks the servant to bring him a finger washing bowl which he declines. "It is not necessary, I do not need one" he says licking his fingers one by one and smiling as if it was the most natural thing in the world. With eyebrows raised high, the two reply with a polite smile.

"May I ask, is this the usual way you eat your food?" Rashka can't help but ask.

"Oh yes. The church frowns upon the use of forks. It is said that they are the devil's tool and bring bad fortune" he says.

"I see" Rashka says already feeling Nish pinching her thigh to leave the matter alone, "Seems like an arbitrary thing for the men of God to condemn. Do they not have more relevant matters to discuss?" she carefully comments.

Luckily, the sarcasm flows straight over Templar's head and he innocently replies: "It is not on me to ask questions. Only to obey."

Next scene: After a few days of partying, the group was ready to leave. There were a few who commented on Rashka's feminine face, but her presentation of her sword skills and use of bow and arrow quickly reassured them. _(What can I say. In the Middle ages, that was considered enough proof)_ Some documents were signed and a marriage arranged and everything seemed to be going well, until…

Next scene: A year later, on a sunny peaceful day. The king pases frustrated while Rashka observes him sitting at a garden table and says shocked: "You're kidding?!"

"I am not, he drowned" Stefan Nemanja says upset.

"Just like that? No ambush, no assassination attempt? He simply fell into water and whoosh...gone" she continues still confused.

"Yes! What are we going to do know? Who will protect our legitimacy?"

"God, you are so annoying with that! As I need a piece of paper to say I exist. I'm right here!" she blurs. He sits down, visibly worried: "You act as if you don't know how things work."

She sighs sipping a cold fruit drink: "Calm down, boss. We'll think of something. Something better."

"Are you sure?" he asks.

"Of course." she says calmly.


	46. Chapter 44

**_World Academy W_**

Close up: Ivan closes his eyes. He leans forward opening his mouth a little and presses it on something soft. Moving the frame further away, we see that he is kissing Yasna's cheek. He opens his eyes and looks at her confused. She avoids eye-contact and sips her can as if annoyed with what just happened.

"Are you serious?!" he yells accompanied by a 'dumbfounded' sound.

Yasna stares into the distance not saying anything.

Ivan moves his hand and looks in the same direction. "I thought you wanted this."

"I did" she says and puts a can close to her face. "It's different now" she adds and takes another sip.

"Why? Tell me? What happened to make you change your mind?!" he asks crushed.

Quiet, she turns and looks at him serious: "I'll tell you only if you tell me why now?"

"What do you mean why now? Why not now?"

"Come on, Ivan. You start taking interest the moment Alfred tries to seduce me. Am I supposed to believe this is all just a large coincidence?!"

Ivan stares right through her. He slouches back on the bench: "I though you would appreciate it. With me as your boyfriend he wouldn't dare annoy you again."

Yasna's eyes water a little. "No one can guarantee that. And besides, I don't want a boyfriend now. Not like this." She bows her head. Ivan looking sad says: "I do like you. I really do."

"I know" she sighs. "But-"

Before anything else can be said, they notice Rema, Claudia, Natalyia and Maximo running towards them.

"Ivan, we need to hurry" Rema says catching her breath.

"What is happening?" he asks.

"Julio Paz is in big trouble. His riots are so bad that officials are getting attacked by mobs. His boss had to run for his life, literally. José Hernández Martinez is taking care of him now" the pretty girl says moving her long soft black curls from her worried face.

"We need your help" Claudia pleads "All Latin students are extremely worried. It isn't normal for the protesters to be so violent."

Ivan stands up serious. Before going with the group, he looks at Yasna. "My intention hasn't changed. Promise me you'll think about it" he says.

Yasna, who has observed the whole thing, smiles and nods. He smiles and walks away quickly.

 _ **Year of 1180.**_

A hallway inside a sturdy castle. Its windows look upon a magnificent medieval coastal city. You can hear the waves and almost smell the salty water. A young boy, with long straight brown hair, observes the castle entrance. It is about to open. A lonely figure in armor rides in and dismounts. The boy yells: "Greetings!" and waves excited.

The rider takes off the helmet and we see that it is Rashka. She looks up and sees the boy. "Hello, to you to little man" she smiles and waves back.

Next scene: The two are in the hallway. "Did you bring me a present?" the young boy asks.

"Bosnia!" a female voice is heard coming closer. It is Hercegovina, previously known as Travunia". She looks like a young adult, beautiful and fair, with a dress that is an interesting mix of Byzantium and Venetian influence on an overall Slavic figure. "Don't be rube to our guest. Poor Rashka hasn't even sat down properly."

"It's fine, don't worry about it" she says to her friend as they hug. She then kneels in front of Bosnia. From her bag, Rashka takes out a jar of honey, a few apples and a red ball. "Here you go" she says.

The thrilled boy takes the things and bows saying: "Thank you."

Next scene: At Herzegovina's guest room. Bosnia plays with the ball, throwing it, kicking it and chasing it around. While he does that, we hear the two older representatives.

"So how are things back at your place?" Hercegovina asks.

"Pretty stable, knock on wood" Rashka replies as we hear knocking. "I've just recently acquired even more land."

"Impressive" the other replies.

"Well, you know... I'm doing my best. What about you? Anything new?"

Hercegovina sighs: "Now that you mentioned it, Venetiano has been making some advances along the cost. Luckily, Byzantium is keeping him at bay."

"I see. Is he causing any trouble?"

"Not really. He's people are merchants. You should see some of the things arriving on their ships. A vast amount of materials and spices...they even sell people."

"So nothing out of the ordinary? And these merchants? What impression do you have of them?"

"They have a good eye for aesthetic, good at making a profit. Not quick to take up arms."

"Would they make good allies?"

"Perhaps, but I would avoid owing them money, if you know what I mean."

Their laughter is heard. Bosnia has put the ball on the floor moving a few steps back. He aims and kicks it hard. The sound of shattered glass is heard as Bosnia hides his face with his fists.

Next scene: We see Hercegovina jump up yelling: "Look at what you did! Take that wretched thing and go play outside."

"But I want to talk politics with you" the boy begs.

"We'll talk later. Now go!" she says sternly.

The boy protests but leaves anyway.

"What a lively kid" Rashka says.

"Yes, Kulin Ban _**(Bosnia's first boss)**_ thought it was a good idea to have a male representative" Hercegovina says annoyed "Apparently I can't be taken seriously."

"Ouch! He said that?"

"No... but it was strongly applied" Hercegovina says making a face.

"Don't you just hate human's for that. It is like they can't see anything besides the surface."

Hercegovina sighs "I don't mind though. He is a sweet kid. A bit mischievous but extremely funny and kind."

"Well then" Rashka says filling her cup, "let's have a toast to the new addition to the family." Hercegovina raises her drink.


	47. Chapter 45

_Current but not really, just something that periodically happened in this decade (also: ex Yugotalia), hope you see the humor in it..._

Serbia's place, a large living room with the trusty old couch. Bosnia slams in in his camouflage uniform, holding up an automatic riffle in one hand.

"Alright, let's do this!" he yells from the door.

Serbia, who has been watching TV, looks into his direction, rolls her eyes and goes back to her program.

"Didn't you hear me? I said let's do this" Bosnia tries to look intimidating still holding the riffle with one hand.

Serbia doesn't reply instead she slip a can of beer. He blinks confused.

"Is this because of that mean tweet I sent?" she finally replies.

"What tweet?" he says closing the door. She shows him his phone and we see what she posted on Britain's feed: "I would appreciate it if you could stop booing my athletes. Please remember that the tennis court is not your private dirty fantasy box where you get to pick and chose whoever you think looks best in tiny white shorts. Thanks."

Bosnia bursts out laughing. "That's nuts. What did he reply?"

"Nothing. I just sent it when you barged in. I figured you were the response" she says still looking at the TV.

"Well, no. That's not why I came" he says sitting on the couch, looking at the can of beer tempted. She notices and adds: "If you want one there are a few more in the fridge. You know where it is."

He gets up and returns with the can. "I'm here because Republika Srpska has been acting up again" he says.

Serbia turns the volume down and turns to him. "Can I talk to Srpska?"

"No."

"How can I solve your problem if I can't talk to him?"

"Forget it. You two are just going to badmouth me" Bosnia says looking at the TV the whole time.

Serbia replies getting irritated: "Have you maybe thought that Srpska is acting up because you are treating him poorly. I mean, what have you done for him since you moved out?"

"It's not my fault he won't cooperate" Bosnia replies.

Serbia turns to the TV. There is a singing competition on, one of many. They stop talking and watch for a while. Bosnia laughs at something one of the hosts says.

"So, is there a specific reason you came or..." Serbia starts.

He makes a you-know-why-I-came face: "I came because I want you to apologize." She groans.

"You know what you did to me!" he yells.

Serbia grabs the ridge of her nose with her fingers: "A delegation with my boss was sent to Srebrenica in 2015 to pay their respect. And your people there almost stoned him to death. Where is your apology for that?"

"Well..." he replies nervous "It was an emotional moment."

"So emotional you still didn't jail the culprits?" she says crossing her hands.

They stay quiet for a while and Bosnia starts angry: "So about that apology..."

"Do you want to make a road together?"

"No."

"How about I build you something. A kindergarten, for example?" she continues.

"No."

"Do you want us to improve trade?"

"No!"

"Then there is nothing I want to say to you! Either you let me talk to Srpska or go home" she replies sternly. He sighs, groans, shakes his head and then changes his expression.

"Finally" she is relieved seeing him smile. They cling their drinks and continue watching the program.

Next scene: During a commercial for the new Turkish telenovela, Srpska asks: "I don't get it, why do Balkan housewives like these things?"

Serbia shrugs: "Not just Turkish mind you. First it was South American, then we tried with our own but it didn't work out. Then the Turkish came. For a while even Indian soap operas were popular. Who knows what will be next..."

The door burst open again. We see Croatia getting in, in the exact same outfit as Bosnia. "I heard screaming...Is it on or what?" he says.

"False alarm. Srpska here came to hang out" she replies with her guest nodding.

Croatia looks at them suspicious. "What are you watching? Is it one of mine?" he asks noticing the TV.

"Nope" is the short reply. He walks around for a bit. "So the two of you are just gonna watch TV all night?" he continues touring the well-known place.

"Yes" Srpska says and violently turns his head. "Would you like to join us?" Serbia glares at him with an are-you-kidding-me face to which Srpska makes himself smaller. "Sorry, it was the Croatian entity talking" he whispers.

"No. I have much better things to do. And besides, I wouldn't be caught dead in this place...Are those European bonbons?" he stops mid sentence seeing a nice tin case with various sweets in it. "Can I have one?"

"Sure" Serbia says still facing the TV. As he unwraps one and puts it in him mouth she adds: "Tell me if you like them. I was thinking of placing it as an authentic home-made Serbian brand on to the EU market."

He stops swallowing and spits the chocolate into the sink. "It's disguising. How dare you trick me into eating it?! I'm leaving. Goodbye" he yells and slams the door on his way out.

"Was that true?" Srpska asks curious. "Nah, I got them as a gift. I just told him that to make him leave" she says with a slight smirk.

"Wow, he really hates your products?" Srpska notices.

"Yeah, what a hypocrite. And you know what the best part is? He still runs half my food industry. Even now, twenty years after the split, he profits from my markets and decides what comes in... But he still doesn't want to return the property he took from me" she says slightly disgusted.

They both sigh. A phone notification is heard. Serbia looks at her phone chuckles and passes it to Srpska who smiles.

We see them from the back as the frame moves away. "Good reply" Srpska says and Serbia nods.


	48. Chapter 46

_**World Academy W**_

Yasna is walking slowly to her locker. She is by herself and has a rare moment to think about what exactly is happening to her. Once there, she notices Wang Yao approaching in the company of two female Asian students. One with an extremely Spanish name who everyone keeps calling Pinas and the other Nquyen Lien that really likes the color green. He has his arms around their shoulders and tells them a story.

"So anyway, I pick up the ten pandas, hoist them on my back and jump over the fire to take them to safety...Oh hi." Wang says seeing Yasna.

"Hi" she retorts. He lets go of the two girls who take a step back not saying anything.

"So, I heard you have some problems with Alfred" he starts leaning all cool.

"Yep" she sighs, arranging her books still distracted.

"And Ivan, how does he feel about it?" he continues carefully.

"Uhm...he tried to help, if you could call it that."

"Sooooo...did you accept?"

"No, I don't know why. Probably because I'm an idiot" she says jokingly.

"I don't think you were wrong. Perhaps he wasn't the best person for the job. Perhaps you need someone smart together with whom you can maneuver through these difficult times" he says observing her reaction.

Yasna finally concentrates and figures it out. "Thanks, but no" she says closing her locker and avoiding any further eye contact.

"It doesn't have to be real. We can hang out and you can only pretend to be my girlfriend while we are at school" he presses the issue.

"For the last time! I don't want a boyfriend...fake or otherwise. I just want to be left alone" she says pressing her forehead onto the locker.

"Why? Is it because I'm not as tall and blond as those other two? I have other better qualities" he says hurt.

"No...it's because I'm overwhelmed with all this attention. To make things worse, I don't think it's really about me... at all. It's like I'm a trophy to be won in a game of Who-has-the-greatest-ego" her voice becomes unnaturally high as she grows more and more upset making Wang Yao step back.

He takes a deep breath, takes her hand and pats it. "Alright, I see that you are not thinking clearly now. Perhaps in a day or so, you will be able to think about my proposal more clearly. Until then, bye" he says still holding her hand. She looks to the side, gives a fake smile and frees it to wave.

As he turns and signals the girls to join him, Yasna notices Nquyen approaching her. "It will be okay. They get bored of that game quickly and move on to the next thing" she whispers and hurries along.

Yasna smiles reassured but her bad mood returns when she sees Jakub coming her way.

He says with a friendly tone: "Hey, how's it goi-"

"No!" she yells and storms off leaving him confused. He watches her stomp away to class yelling "No!" "No!" "No!" to numerous boys who try to start up a conversation.

Next scene: After classes, the students start to leave one by one.

Julio Paz walks worried through the hallway with his friend José.

"My people are in danger. The new government is only making things worse, and I don't know what to do..." we hear him say.

"Cheer up man" José replies "It's not like you have actual drug cartels calling the shots."

Julio looks at him irritated: "You are really not helping man" as they leave the building.

Yasna slowly trudges to the exit. There is barely anyone left. "Finally. I am so exhausted. I can't wait to come back home and..."

She is gasped and taken to a broom closet. Struggling to free herself, she is turned around and comes face to face with her attacker. It is no other than Elizabeta Héderváry who scans her completely not letting go of her shoulders. Yasna looks at her terrified.


	49. Chapter 47

_Ok I'm no scientist or anything so I can't back anything written here, but I did discuss this with one and he didn't laugh his arse off so...hope you at least find it amusing. Enjoy!_

 **One shot – and now for something a little different**

Plain white space. We have chibi versions of the Biology, Chemistry and Physics teacher pop up. They all have generic teacher sweaters with patches, very thick glasses that cover half of their face and a polite smile.

"That you for coming today" the invisible narrator starts. They nod.

"You were brought here to help us with a little problem we have with Earth" the narrator continues. From the left a giant globe appears that is rolled in by another generically dressed teacher in chibi form.

"Thank you. You must be the Geology teacher" the narrator says. The teacher adjusts his glasses and replies a little insulted: "That's correct. Thank you for noticing. It is almost as if you forgot to include me."

"What? No, of course not. It's just...well...So anyway about our problem" the narrator says as the teachers observe the globe. "We have been having terrible weather phenomenons. One of them being typhoons. They happen in the summer and have been growing in size almost every year. Can you try to work together and come up with a solution?"

The teachers ponder with their hands cupping their chins.

The Geology teacher is first: "As far as I know typhoons are created when a hot and humid atmosphere meets a low cold front. And it usually happens in the same part of the ocean. Hmm... I believe that by limiting the amount of hot air being evaporated in those exact spots, the problem of global warming will become manageable."

The biology teacher goes next. "Great idea! We can create giant water lillies that can live on salt water. It will take a little tweaking but once done they will cover the water surface" he speaks throwing his arms excited and then stops as if remembering something. "And cause such a shade that will destroy all sea life bellow" he continues slouching.

"It's not a throwaway idea all together. We just need thermal insulator material that lets light pass through. Hmm, maybe cover the area with plastic...oh no, that would cause too much pollution" the chemistry teacher says.

"Don't worry, we have plenty of those" the narrator says and the frame zooms in on the globe to show the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The chemistry teacher is a little disgusted.

The Physics teacher looks intensely at the globe. He mumbles and scratches his head. "Alright, hear me out. This may sound crazy, but it could work from a practical point...What if we collected all the plastic together, their must already be a similar program in the works, collect it with some kind of net and make artificial islands on strategic locations."

The other teachers blink. "That's just cartooning enough to work" the Biology teacher says. "We could create a whole new continent that way" the Geology teacher continues. "It does seem practical. And you kill two birds with one stone" the chemistry teacher cheers. As they continue rambling and congratulating each other the frame slowly moves out as if not wanting to associate with them any more.

The narrator finally speaks again: "Well, that was...interesting. Thank you dear viewer for tuning in. Hope you come again...Like, seriously, we will never ask these guys back again. You're safe." The frame is already far enough that the figures seem like tiny jumping specs.


	50. Chapter 48

_**Modern times – at the EU cafe (2019)**_

Poland sits at the bar ordering a drink. Seeming his usual self, he probably came there to take a short break. Finland is the bartender this time.

Next scene: Outside Serbia approaches the cafe, talking to someone on the phone.

"I really don't understand those guys. I mean talk about geese in the fog*. It is clear that they simply repeat the same five phrases they know about the entire situation... I mean do they actually think that the world will align with what they are saying if they just cling to it long enough?!" she explains frustrated and sighs. "Germany sure knows how to pick them."

 _ ***{clueless}**_

She listens to the person on the phone and blurts out: "Of really… so things are going to magically change, just like that?!"

The person on the phone talks after which she chuckles. "2020 will be my year. Ha! I'll have to take your word for it. Anyway, I'm here. Talk to you later. Bye" she laughs and ends the call.

Next scene: Inside she sits at the bar and orders a coffee. She notices Poland and greets him. He politely replies.

"So how are things going? You won't believe the day I had..." she says placing her stuff on the high chair. "Thank God it's over. On the bright side, I did get these neat discount coupons for drinks here" she finishes smiling.

"That's nice" Poland says coldly which makes Serbia feel uncomfortable. They haven't really talked a lot since the fall of the Soviet Union.

"Say, can I ask you something? We're cool, right?" she asks nervous. Poland looks at her confused: "Yes...Why would you, like, think otherwise?"

"Well" she scratches her neck. "It feels like you have this barrier put up."

He blinks. "I really don't. Like, I don't know you very well yes, but I really have nothing against you" Poland says subconsciously moving his drink away from her.

"I'm sorry, I probably seem a little paranoid now" Serbia says. Her coffee arrives. After a silent minute she continues: "In that case, you wouldn't mind telling me why you didn't invite me to the commemoration of the beginning of WWII, would you?"

"Oh that...It, like, really wasn't that big of a deal" he says with a blank expression. She ponders about continuing and finally does. "You invited everyone, except me and Russia" she tries to sound non-threatening. Poland clears his throat uncomfortable.

"As you said, it's no big deal. In fact, I had my own celebration not short after. Seventy-five years since the capital was liberated in WWII. Russia came and it was great" she continues.

"Alright" he says still confused by the whole conversation.

Serbia continues with a friendly smile: "It was a joined effort, the liberation, you know? Did you know that the soldiers of the Red Army went from building to building to diffuse the bombs places by the Nazis. They sacrificed their lives so that Belgrade doesn't become a pile of rubble. Well, not as big of a..." She stops seeing that Poland is glaring at her taking short breaths.

"When my freedom fighters were freeing Warsaw, the Red Army stood and watched not engaging in battle until all of them were dead" he says coldly.

"Oh. How interesting people's psyche can be" Serbia utters feeling extremely awkward.

"Well, it's been nice chatting with you but I really have to go now. Take care" she says and chugging her coffee and exiting the place in a hurry. The bartender and Poland stare in the direction of the still-moving door.

 _ **World Academy W**_

"What in Heaven are you doing?" Elizabeta says still clenching her.

Yasna frowns. She moves her hands and adjusts her school blouse. "If I knew, I would've already got myself out of this mess" she says still mad at Elizabeta for shaving her into the closet.

"Let's be honest Yasna. You are an 8 in a sea of tens..." she starts but is interrupted by Yasna remarking hurt: "Really, that doesn't seem fair."

"...Well it's because you lack...you don't really have...seriously you could at least try and stuff your bra with tissues or something" she continues. Yasna's lip twitches.

"How in the world did you manage to make 3 most powerful students in school chase after you like little puppies?" Elizabeta is baffled.

Yasna rolls her eyes. As she is about to start talking, they hear Alfred threatening someone. "You better give me that lithium Juloi, comprende" they hear as well as Julio's refusal from the outside. As they pop their heads slowly from the closet, they see Wang Yao arguing with Wang Jia Long. The two girls tiptoe to the second entrance only to hear Ivan and Iryna bickering. "Honestly, do these guys ever go home?" Elizabeta comments frustrated. Yasna feels the same way. Finally, they manage to reach the school yard.

Next scene: They are walking towards the fence. "Unbelievable" Elizabeta says intrigued after listening to the entire story.

"Yes. And now I don't know what to do" Yasna complains. Elizabeta ponders for a bit and declares: "Don't worry. I'll help you. I'm an expert on boys."

Yasna chuckles. Elizabeta stops dead in her tracks and looks at her furious: "And what was that all about?"

Yasna gulps and nervously explains herself: "I'm sorry. I heard some stories about you and my mind immediately went to that. You have a slight reputation I'm afraid."

Still staring, Elizabeta sighs and bows her head sad. "You send your then-boyfriend one nudy picture..."she says heart-broken. Yasna feels really bad. "Yeah...that's the problem with these new technologies. You never know who is going to end up with things that are supposed to be private. Especially since everything is so easy to hack" she tries to make her feel better.

Elizabeta quickly pulls herself together and continues: "Never mind about that. If you want my help, wait for me at the main school gate tomorrow morning."

"But it's Saturday" Yasna protests. "Exactly and bring some money" Elizabeta replies calmly, climbs the fence and slowly starts to walk away.

"Alright then. See you tomorrow" Yasna waves watching her go.

 _Hey, quick update on current affairs. I'm sorry to say that the south part of the Balkan peninsula has been hit by earthquakes. Albania, Greece, Bosina and Hercegovina, Montenegro and it was even felt in Serbia. Albania was hit the hardest. This is very unusual because such natural disasters aren't normal here. I truly hope the earthquakes will end and that people affected will receive proper help. That is all. Thank you for reading!_


	51. Chapter 49

_Warning: Contains bad language. Please don't take this story the wrong way._

 _ **1818-ish**_

In Austria's palace. With a lip quivering into a smile Serbia, in peasant clothes, stands opposite him with her hands pressed together. "Please" she says trying very hard not to burst into laughter.

"No" Austira looks away with his hands folded.

"Oh come on" she continues pressing her hands on her face still giggling "He didn't mean any harm. He just wanted to keep some common people's tales from being forgotten."

Austria looks at the simply dressed nation annoyed. "Then why did he include such lewd content? That is highly inappropriate for a citizen of my empire."

Serbia is persistent "It's not like he made them, he's just...written them down."

Austria's is still pouting. He remains silent. The others are cleaning, conspicuously all of them located in that very same room. Serbia remains in the same position, smiling, determined to soften him up.

Austria scans her clothing, a cotton white shirt, black vest and woolen socks going up almost to her knees. "Why on Earth are you wearing that?" he says a little disgusted.

"Oh, this" Serbia says looking at her torso. "It's all the rage among my people. Now that so many have rediscovered our myths and poems through the written form, we all want to show our national pride. I especially like the 'Ero' series*" she says excited.

 _ ***{Ero is the name of a poor peasant who always manages to outsmart everyone he comes across often in hilarious ways}**_

The others chuckle. "It's not what you think?" she turns to them mad. "I beg you, oh glorious empire, have a heart and let Vuk Karadžić (Вук Караџић) out of jail" she says with puppy-dog eyes. Unwilling to admit, Austria read some if them and thought they were funny.

"Alright...but be assured that such behaviour will not be tolerated. If he ever publishes a book with just a hint of pornography, I won't be as merciful." he says strict.

Serbia raises her arms and starts jumping from joy. "Yay! A thousand thanks of the most noble empire I have ever had the pleasure of meeting!" she yells excited.

"Now he remembers" Austria states flattered. "Now excuse me, I have some important matters of state to carry out." He swiftly turns and quickly shuts the door.

Next scene: As he left, the other nations started chuckling and gathered around Serbia rowdy.

"What a smooth talker you are" says Slavonia. "Oh please...it's not like he had to defend anything serious. I heard worse while on my way to the farmer's market" Hungary brags.

"Really?! You think that's all I got? My dear neighbour, I have curse-words that can make a coach rider feel dizzy" Serbia says extremely proud of herself.

"Alright then, lets hear some" says Transylvania.

Serbia clears her throat and states with great confidence: "Је*o ти пас матер". The others gasp. "I know, right? It's a classic."

Hungary taps her on the shoulder jokingly. She leans in and says: Ba*szon agyon a kénköves istennyila! They all 'uuh' impressed.

Out of nowhere, Galicia, who seems like a petite version of Ukraine, raises her hand eagerly. "I have one!" she yells and then cups her mouth and whispers: "А щоб ти падло дристало та й дристало."

The group looks at her confused. Serbia's lip starts to quiver again. She comes closer and hugs Galicia: "That was adorable! It's like baby's first swearwords." The all laugh heartily.

Next scene: Austria returning hears the commotion. "What the..." he thinks and quietly presses his ear on the door. "F _utu-ți pi*da mă-tii"_ yells a voice resembling Transylvania's _._ This and many many other horrific and filthy words shouted by his servants makes his face red. He turns around and trots away.

Next scene: Inside the room there is some kind of a shouting/swearing match. Everyone is yelling the most outrageous things from their own language while at the same time laughing their heads off at others. _(I wouldn't_ _advise_ _searching these phrases online._ _You have been warn._ _)_

The door slams open. Austria is there, breathing heavily ready to explode. The group looks at him terrified.

"So you think you can use such language in my home" he says through his teeth looking more menacing with each passing breath. They says nothing petrified.

"You're all pathetic" he says with his glasses hiding his eyes. "You think you're so egregious with your foul words...None of you know what real kinkiness is" he says slapping his palm with a horse whip.

The others scream and start running for dear life. Austria starts whipping around while laughing hysterically. Some manage to escape through the windows while a few aren't as lucky.

 _ **Current maybe?**_

America is sitting on his couch playing video games on his console. Tony appears and starts shaking him. "F*cking, f*cking" we hear but what he is actually saying is: "I want to go home. Please let me go home. I miss my family."

"Jesus you're annoying! Did you run our of burgers or something" America says annoyed. "F*cking, f*cking" the extraterrestrial repeats his plea.

"Fine, I'll go and get you some" America sighs and goes out. Tony tries to stop him but he is already out of the door. He sighs and bows his big head: "F*cking" he says sad and picks up the controller telepathically.


	52. Chapter 50

_World Academy W_

The next morning Elizabetha waited at the gate. Yasna came running. "Sorry, I'm late" she says. By her look Elizabetha doesn't seem amused. She says 'Let's go' and starts walking. Yasna follows a little confused.

Next scene: At the mall, specifically the underwear section. Yasna looks at some very cute and colorful wonder-bras. "So you think this will actually help?" she asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes" her shopping partner states, "according to an article I read, the most attractive women are usually the loneliest in love. So, by that logic, the better looking you are the less approachable you seem."

Yasna can't help but smile as she goes over the shelves. "That makes zero sense but the world is crazy like that... Look at all these choices! How can I possibly decide?"

"Lucky you" Elizabetha says sarcastically looking at the section with her bra size which only has plain white, beige and black ones.

Next scene: A still-shot of a beauty salon. "Wait. It's against the rules to dye our hair or wear make-up" we hear Yasna narrate.

"Don't worry" Elizabetha narrates "Julios is a magician."

We see Yasna sitting in the hairdresser's chair as a man with a black pony-tail carefully evaluating her straight brown hair.

"Hmm...I will put a chocolate glaze and recommend a good conditioner. Also I will glue eyelashes just enough to make your lovely eyes pop" he yells with a high-pitched voice.

"Neat" Yasna yells excited.

When he is done. The chair turns towards Elizabeta and she states amazed: "Julios, you have done it again..."

Next scene: Elizabetha walks along the sidewalk with now a much better-looking friend. Yasna's hair is shinier, her complexion clearer and she seems much happier. "You should also work on your posture. Women don't realize how important it is. It goes posture, attitude and then beauty" her friend says rising her chin and slowly tossing back her long wavy hair.

Yasna can't stop smiling. "I know an antique book shop which sells used books. They're mostly useless but sometimes you can find a rare jem. Like tips on life and love by famous historical figures. I always wanted to get it but..." she stops scared to finish the sentence. "You know, if you hadn't shoved me into that closet like a maniac I don't know when I would've mustered up the courage to do this on my own. Thank you" Yasna states teary-eyed.

Her classmate smiles: "Well...your suitors now have a true ten to chase after. Hope you use your new powers for good." They talk a little bit after which they say goodbye and go their separate ways.

A montage: Next scene: We see Yasna staring determined while montage music plays in the background. Turns out she is staring at the mirror.

Next scene: In the living room she approaches her mom: "Can you teach me how to walk properly?" the teenager says. Her mother turns off the TV and stands up: "I thought you'd never ask."

Next scene: We see her adding some old books on the shelf. One is called 'My love life by Cleopatra' the other is 'How to trick everyone into liking you' and 'Tips from histories most beloved rulers'. She places them next to a book purchased a long time ago called 'So you are hated by everyone - How to become invisible.'

Next scene: In the living room. Yasna's mother and she walk next to one another. "Straighten up, shoulders back, rise your chin and sway your hips" the mother says and walks.

Next scene: We see and hear the teen reading: "The most important part of controlling the conversation is not your word or your tone but your 'look'. Once you learn to make the 'I'm-so-much-better-than-you-so-shut-up-and-listen' face, you are half way there.

Next scene: She practices the 'look' in front of the mirror but it resembles a duck face.

Next scene: She is walking with her mother and knock over a vase. "That's too much swaying honey" mom says.

Next scene: Yasna practices in the mirror but it looks ridiculous.

Next scene: The two walk across the living room with Šćepan observing them confused.

Next scene: She sits in front of the mirror, observing her face from all profiles.

Next scene: Yasna walks nicely by herself with her mother encouraging her: "Chin up. Chin up."

Next scene: The teen clearly goofs off, being silly in front of the mirror.

Next scene: The two walk together posing at the end.

Next scene: She reads her books deep into the night.

Monday morning. Her mother has made breakfast. She glances at her daughter and smiles: "My my my... how you glow from early morning."

We see Yasna, in the same uniform. The only difference is that her chest is slightly larger. A simple hair pin gathers a strand of chocolate brown hair just above the ear, revealing it by two-thirds. Physically, she is not so different but is beaming with confidence.

"Thank you" she says calmly.

Next scene: At the school, Yasna slowly walks in the entrance. D

Thoes who notice are astounded. For some reason she seems taller. Unlike other days, when she would slouch and hurry to her locker, she glided step by step, smiling softly. Her hands were firmly holding a school book over her chests. Many greet and even compliment her to which she replies by making her smile a little wider or answering with nothing more than a simple 'Thanks'.

Elizabetha approaches. "Love the walk" she says.

"Thanks" she turns to her and smiles. Elizabetha walks next to her until reaching her locker. "Want to walk together after class? I have a lot of stuff I want to tell you about" Yasna says. Her friend stops for a second: "Um...don't take this the wrong way but I spend most of my time with Hedvika and the others. We call ourselves the Visegrad group. It's pretty cute actually."

"Oh" Yasna's face turns from confident and pleasant to confident and slightly serious.

"Yeah, don't get me wrong. I'm happy you decided to do something for yourself but there are so many ways this all can crash and burn and I don't want to be in the middle of it."

"I see" if her words hurt her, Yasna definitely is not showing it. After an awkward pause Elizabetha continues feeling a little guilty: "We can still hang out sometimes. I would love to hear on your progress."

"Of course. Don't worry about it. I'll be completely fine" Yasna smiles. "You sure" she asks to which Yasna nods carefree.

It is only as she walks away do we see her agitated face. "Great...now I'm going to be that smiling girl who walks alone everywhere" she mutters to herself.

Next scene: After the class, at the locker. Dafina and Aleksia are standing nearby talking about the earthquakes.

"The worst part is that the reconstruction will cost a tone of money..." Aleksia says depressed to Dafina who immediately turns to Yasna as she walks by.

"Hey, how are you?" Dafina asks popping next to Yasna almost startling her. "Oh, fine" Yasna smiles widely, taking her books.

"I love your hair" Dafina continues. "Thanks...Got a new shampoo. It did wonders" she replies.

Aleksia bows her head feeling excluded. Yasna comes near and asks: "I'm so sorry about what happened. How are you now?"

Aleksia shrugs uncertain. "Are you coming to class?" Dafina asks. "Sure" Yasna replies calmly and the three girls walk together talking.

As we watch them we hear Yasna narrate: " _It is essential to have an entourage at all times. Not only will this make you seem more important, it will also shield you from people you wish to avoid. It is not_ _essential_ _to be fond of all the people in it – that is a luxury even the_ _most wealthy_ _cannot afford_. Excerpt taken from the secret diary of Louis XIV."

 _Okay, I don't know if Louis XIV said this but if you look at his reign he did abide by it._


	53. Chapter 51

_World Academy W_

A couple of days have passed. We see Elizabetha and Yasna talking. "So, life's good. I've been hanging out with Dafina and Aleksia _(a stillshot of the 3 girls walking down the hallway, Yasna is obviously in the middle, Aleksia_ _is_ _nervously covering the ugly patch she had on her backpack)_ and pretty soon Heracles joined. _(stillshot of the cafeteria where the group is concentrated at the middle of the table so they don't brake any unwritten rules)_ Enis is, of course, with us. I just had to politely ask him to start taking his pills and kindly refrain from calling me names _(stillshot of Yasna smiling_ _with her nose wrinkled_ _as Enis is_ _grabbing_ _his collar with a_ _nervous giggle_ _)_.

"That was fast" Elizabetha says impressed. "As I said, it was no problem at all" she replies. Hedvika and Jakub show up and Jakub greets her. She turns and greets his with a friendly 'Hi.'

"How are you?" the boy continues.

"Fine" she says cheerful. There is an awkward silence. The boy stands there nodding thinking of what to say next. "Okay then. See you around" he waves and quickly disappears.

Elizabetha and Hedvika, witnessing this, are dumbfounded: "OMG what did you do to him? I better see if he is okay" Hedvika says and runs. "Tell him I'm sorry" Yasna calls out to her.

Elizabetha looks at her confused. "You HAVE to teach me that" she says.

Yasna wrinkles her nose and shrugs. "Please" her classmate begs. "Alright, but you'll owe me one" she replies.

Next scene: At the cafeteria the group is talking about the Lesson club.

"Last night was interesting? Why didn't you come?" Dafina asks.

Above her head we see her sitting uncomfortably pressed against the wall in the little corner of the desk she shared with 3 other people. An arrow point to it with the words 'Very uncool'. The bubble bursts.

"I wasn't feeling well. What was the topic?" Yasna replies.

"The longest words in languages" Heracles says.

"Then I didn't miss anything. The longest Serbian word only has 18 letters" Yasna says.

"The club was fun but don't you guys think that it is too crowded? It's such a small place to jam so many people" Aleksia says.

"Now that you mention it, it does get stuffy after a minute or two" Enis adds.

"That is weird" Yasna says glancing at the popular kids table "I think I'll ask Arthur what's the deal with that." She calmly stands up as others observe.

Next scene: Alfred is sipping a small milk threw a straw when he sees someone coming. He immediately jumps up and hides the kid container. "Hey, there. You startled me" he says with a nervous laugh.

"Oh, I'm sorry" Yasna replies warmly. "Heh, no problem. I was just getting my daily dose of calcium… Very important for strong bones" he says and starts flecking.

Yasna looks at him. "How nice" she adds and slowly turns to Arthur who was observing this with one raised eyebrow.

"I actually wanted to ask you something about the Language club" she says.

"Go ahead."

"It's getting overcrowded. Don't you think it is a good idea to ask the principal for a new space?"

"And where would you have it?" Arthur asks sitting comfortably.

Yasna raises her head to think. "The small amphitheater for example."

Arthur folds his arms: "I already tired that. He said that the amphitheater is for school activities only."

Yasna starts feeling slightly uncomfortable but still continues: "This could be considered a school activity."

"It's a lost cause...he became very agitated when I asked him. It is maybe better to forget the whole matter" Arthur casually explained.

"Such a shame" Yasna says slightly sad to which Alfred jumps in. "Don't be like that man. Maybe he changes his mind" he says carefully leaning his elbow on Yasna's shoulder. She doesn't protest.

"Yes. Maybe he softens up soon" she says and smiles at Alfred. "Have to go now" she sings making him move his elbow. "Come back any time" he adds putting his hands through his hair in a slightly awkward way.

Next scene: A week later. Early in the morning. In front of the principal's office. Iryna and Roderich Edelstein stand seeming grumpy. "Why am I here?" Iryna protests.

"I needed someone with your... _(she moves her palms slightly bellow her chest moving them up and down)_ radiant personality to add an emotional element" Yasna says. Iryna frowns.

"Just remember to look sad" Yasna continues. She then turns to Roderich: "Did Elizabetha explain what you need to do?"

Frederich nods holding his violin. "Let's just get this over with" he says irritated.

Next scene: At the office.

"...Students forced to sit on desks, unable even to raise their arms or listen attentively. Surely these are enough reasons to be given a larger room" Yasna gives a melodramatic speech. Iryna stands with her head bowed. She sighs making her breasts move up and down. Roderich is playing a sad tune on the violin.

The principal, a lean man with small sharp white mustaches looks at them confused. After Yasna finishes, he clears his throat and politely states: "Although I do appreciate the effort you put into your presentation, there was no need for it. As I told Arthur before, the amphitheater is your whenever you need it." He pulls out a key and gives it to Yasna.

"Oh" she says confused "Thank you. Um...may I ask for another favor?" The principal raises his eyebrow.

Next scene: At the cafeteria, lunch time. The speakers announce: "Attention all students. This is your principal talking. From now on, the Language club will be held in the amphitheater at the usual time. That is all."

The students cheer and hoot happy. Only Arthur is confused. He looks at the Balkan table and sees Yasna clapping with the others.

Next scene: After classes. Club members gather in front of the new location. Arthur comes last. He is greeted by Yasna with Dafina and Aleksia by her side. He looks at her making short breaths.

"Is this a take-over?" he asks.

Yasna looks at him confused. "Why would you think that? I simply wanted a comfy place to sit" she says giving him the key. She leans in looks him strait in the eye and adds: "In case you lose it. I have a spare. Remember that."

Arthur presses his lips together and opens the door.

Next scene: After the club, as everyone leaves, the 3 girls are talking as they slowly move towards the exit.

"Seems a little strange that he didn't move the club a long time ago" Dafina says.

"Yes, it doesn't seem like him. He is usually so smart and thinks up of such fun activities" Aleksia adds.

Yasna smirks to herself. "Perhaps he simply enjoyed to see a room full of people ready to suffocate under a pile of others just to hear him talk" she says half-jokingly.

"Well...in that case, you should have taken over the club" Dafina says to Yasna.

"I wasn't really interested in the club. Let's face it, English is much easier to learn than Serbian, and I really don't have a problem with the way he manages the activities."

"Still, it did seem a little schemy, the way you went behind Arthur's back like that" Aleksia says.

Yasna looks at her making the girl move a step back.

"I suppose you are right. I should have galloped there on a white horse and challenged him to a duel" she says sarcastically. " _History often rewards displays of arrogance, force and extravagance. Rare is the number of those who are remembered for changing things for the better without much_ _fuss_. Excerpts from the secret diary of Henry the 7th."

"That doesn't sound like something a king would say" Dafina remarks.

We see them walking out from behind. "I'm sure the writer paraphrased it" Yasna says.


	54. Chapter 52

_End of 12_ _th_ _century and beginning of 13_ _th_

An training ground in the castle. We see two young boys charging at an older girl with their wooden swords. She successfully avoids them getting behind their back. The two turn and try again yelling as much as they could with their little voices.

"I can't say life was bad. At least not for those standards" we hear Rashka narrate as she continues the sword training with the boys. "Vukan i Stefan had their father's drive" she narrates as we see the two smile, nod and start sparing with each other. "The king had a good head on his shoulder and the queen was his support every step of the way" we see the two walk discussing something.

"Jefimija and Jelena were also aware of their duties" we see two young girls sitting still so that an artist can paint their trading cards.

Rashka turns worried. "But the boss' youngest son Rastko..." we see a small fair-haired boy with his nose deep inside a book "...he was unique" Rashka narrates.

"Not in a bad way, of course" her narration continues as we see a slightly older Rastko pray. "Despite his strong personality he never caused any trouble..." we see him attending a church ceremony with the rest of his family. "Never showed any interest towards girls or fighting. He didn't drink or party with the other young people..." we see him as a teen, with his hair completely black, sitting secluded with a scripture while his brothers were dancing around the fire with some maidens.

We see him upclose with the emphasis on his calm expression: " Everyone he ever met would say he was an old soul. He spread tranquility like a sweet perfume. And he never seemed more peaceful then when praying."

We see Stefan Nemanja pacing worried, his wife watching him. "I know, I'll give him a province so he can get accustomed to rule. That will make him remember he is a prince." The queen claps her hands delighted.

Next scene: In the woods. Rashka narrates: "And it was so. Now, it was just a matter of finding him a suitable match." Young Hungary sneaks out from the bushes. Her hair is tied with only two strands flowing free. She is carrying a sword and is in full male armor. Out of nowhere, two arrows fly by, hitting the tree 3 millimeters away from her face.

Rashka's slender figure comes out from behind a tree, holding a bow. She looks at her coldly and says: "I apologize. I thought you were a deer. It's a good thing I missed."

Hungary smiles with her teeth. "Greetings Rashka. I see you are diligent as always" Hungary says badly hiding her frustration.

"Of course. I have to be careful. Wouldn't want anything malicious passing through my lands, would I?" Rashka smirks.

Hungary is not pleased: "Look...How many times do we have to go through this? Just let me pass to Byzantium and I'll be out of your hair."

"Go right ahead" Rashka says looking at her nails. As soon as Hungary turns, she continues: "I'll be here practicing my aim. Be careful not to catch one with your back."

Hungary presses her lips tight and sighs: "Let's talk like adults. What will it take for you to let me pass freely?" Rashka looks at her with a raised eyebrow: "I don't know. What are you offering?" Hungary ponders.

Next scene: Rashka slams the door open. She yells out very excited waving a trading card: "Boss! Boss! Get your youngest son. I have a bride for him!"

Next scene: Looking at a map of the Balkans. "Hungary offered a marriage alliance, land to the north for a safe passage to Byzantium. Look at that lush, green fertile soil" she says softly caressing the map. The king looks at her confused: "Is that what your kind considers desirable?"

Rashka looks at him annoyed. "Do you hear me say anything about the weird things your kind does?"

The king backs off.

Next scene: _(1192)_ The guard rushes into the room. "Your Majesty, young Lord has ran away."

"What!" the two yell in unison.

The queen is crying while her two sons and husband stand around waiting for news. Rashka sits tapping her foot impatient. "It's all this damn fasting, I tell you. It made his mind into mush" the king screams as his wife starts sobbing harder.

At one point, Rashka goes to the other room and asks for the bard. "Play me something. I need to get my mind off of things" she says massaging her temples. The bards starts singing a lovely chant to which she violently raises her head.

"Do you know anything else except Church music?!" she says agrivated. The bard shrugs scared: "What would you like me to sing?"

"Oh, I don't know. Some common people tales or a funny story with some playful banter" she says moving her hand nonchalantly.

Before he can say anything, the king burst in and says: "They found him."

Next scene: Rashka jumps on her horse and rides of in the company of a few knights. They get to Mount Athos and find him in a Rusian monastery just in a knick of time. "What do you think you are doing?" she yells as the young prince was about to denounce his earthly life.

Scared and sad he approaches her and whispers: "Please let me do this."

Rashka looks serious. "Absolutely not. You are my prince. You have responsibilities. Your family and me are not going to allow you to throw everything away for a small monastic cell."

Rastko bows his head. His tranquility begins to fade. "It's not a waste if it's for God. Don't you see he brought me here. This is where I am supposed to be."

His determination made her quiet. She ponders with her hands folded. "You're that serious about this."

"Yes" Rastko says immediately. "If you allow me to serve God, I will find a way to be useful to you."

Rashka sighs. "Fine. Don't forget your promise" she says. The young prince smiles and bows deeply. As she and the knights leave the initiation ceremony continues.

Next scene: _(1219 - year_ _of_ _The Serbian Orthodox Church_ _Autocephaly_ _)_ Rashka, looking exactly the same, is greeting a bearded elder man with a shaved top of the head in adorn priest clothing. It is Sava, previously known as Rastko.

"You did it. You kept your promise" she says happy.

"I am happy you are pleased with my work, my fatherland. Please accept this gift as a symbol of my gratitude" Sava says as he presents her with a simple golden cross with four S's on it. She accepts it with apreciation.

 _So this is my version of the Sveti Sava (Свети Сава) story. This is probably done a lot better in the Nemanjići TV show but whatever. I imagined him as a boy with fair hair that later turned black because I wanted to add a mysterious element since such things are supposed to be rare. Are they rare in your country? Asking out of pure curiosity._


	55. Chapter 53

**_One shot – Phrase of the day_**

Chibi Hong Kong pops up with his black mask hyped as ever. He is young, energetic and ready to take on the world. Despite being in a place with nothing but white space, he keeps protesting.

"Hello there" the narrator says. Hong Kong flinches and looks at the readers confused.

"You can take your mask off. You are in no danger here" the invisible narrator continues.

He looks around and carefully removes his mask. "So, why am I hear?" he says sitting down.

"I just wanted to ask you how are the protests going?" the narrator speaks.

"Great! China has accepted my conditions" he shouts.

"Wonderful" the narrator says happy "That means you can stop."

"What?!" he laughs "Are you kidding? I can't stop now, this is maybe my only chance to get China off my back for good".

Both are quiet for a moment. "Don't you think your protesters have gone a too far?"

"What do you mean?" he answers confused.

"Well, they are starting to become more and more violent."

"That's because the police is so brutal. The protesters have to defend themselves" he yells.

Silence again. "I'm not saying you're wrong...I'm saying they are making it impossible for you to function and also that they have started setting civilians on fire."

"Not all. Those are just a few crazy oddballs."

"Still, they should go to jail for what they did."

Hong Kong pouts: "Why should I listen to you? You are obviously on China's side and have no true understanding of the matter."

"Believe it or no, I want to help" the narrator replies. "I believe that the protests have gone on long enough. You have proven your point and got what you want. Things will only get worse from now on. It's time to calm down and negotiate."

"Why?" Hong Kong repeats.

"Because if your protesters continue, they and you by association will lose any respect and leverage you had. Besides, if you don't stop now, you will become the world's first anarchy."

Hong Kong thinks for a second and stutters: "So?"

The narrator sighs: "Please look to your right." He does and sees a big white sheet covering something huge.

"The words underneath are 'Brains before brawn', it is up to you if you want to uncover it" the narrator says. Hong Kong makes a face as the frame fades to white.

 ** _World Academy W_**

At school Yasna is walking alone. As soon as he spots her Francis approaches: "Why hello there? Where are your friends?" he asks in a friendly way.

"Oh, they don't go to this class" she shortly replies and looks straight ahead with her usual smile.

"Good, I wanted to ask you for advice personally. If you don't mind sparing a minute of your time" he continues walking besides her foot in foot.

"Why me?" she replies.

"Well, ever since you fixed the problem with the Language club...and don't deny it was you, the students to look up to you" Francis says nonchalantly.

Yasna blushes. "Really?" she says shy and gives a genuine wide smile. "What is it you wanted to ask me about?" she replies and slows down.

"Oh my dear Yasna, what a problem I have. These damn demonstrations are ruining me. So many strikes, so many delays. It has gotten so bad that I can't even function" he starts melodramatically.

"At this point, all of these protests do start to resemble pointless rioting. Why are they striking this time?" she asks intrigued.

"I want to reform the pension system."

"That doesn't seem like a thing to block the entire city for" she says thinking.

"Yes, and..." he starts before Alfred interrupts him by putting his hand on Francis's face.

"You hassling my girl, bro? If you want to talk to her, you have to go through me first" Alfred says pointing to himself with both thumbs. Yasna is visibly irritated.

"She is not your girl. She likes spending time with me. Right Yasna?" Wang Yao appears out of nowhere making her even more upset. "Don't you have enough girls that follow you around?" Alfred says bitter.

"Oh, unlike you who only spends time with boys?!" Wang Yao retaliates.

"What is going on here?" Ivan walks by confused. At that moment Yasna's ears let out steam.

"That's it! You three! Outside the school entrance after classes! Is that clear?" she yells and storms off before hearing from the clearly baffled boys.

Next scene: All the classes have ended half an hour ago. The only students left are Wang Yao, Ivan and Alfred. They wait impatiently with Yasna nowhere in sight.

She finally shows up on the top of the stairs, standing tall with her nose up, looking down on them.

"Perhaps I wasn't clear before, so I will repeat it again. I refuse to be a pawn in your game of dominance. My boyfriend, if I ever decide to get one, should be strong and assertive..."

"That's me" they all reply in unison.

She looks at them in a way that makes blood curl. "...But most of all level-headed and humble with an innate understanding of right and wrong. Only to such a man will I give my heart and my soul. If you are still interested, I suggest you start working on becoming that man." After finishing her firy speech, she goes into the school and disappears.

"Unbelievable" Ivan says slightly shocked and leaves the yard. All Wang Yao can say is "Wow, such a noble endeavour".

Alfred looks at him and laughs: "Ha! That clearly puts you out of the picture."

"And why is that" his rival replies "I already overthrew you, remember?"

Alfred frowns and adjusts his glasses. "That doesn't change the fact that you are a dictatorship and I'm the land of the free, a.k.a. the greatest democracy in this school."

This makes Wang Yao burst into laughter. "Oh please, you think I haven't been paying attention to what you do and how you do it? More than half of this school hates your guts"

Alfred is a little hurt by this: "You won't be saying that when I get the girl."

With a stern expression, Wang Yao says: "Listen up now. That's a sweet girl with high ideals. Don't compromise her ideals in the name of 'democracy' because, if you do, you will only prove to me, once and for all, that the word you love to use so much is just a weird way of spelling 'domination'."

"So what? You'll stop believing in democracy?" Alfred says almost snickering. Wang Yao looks at him still serious.

"You...you can't do that?" Alfred stutters a little afraid. Wang Yao says nothing. He simply walks away.


	56. Chapter 54

_1895_

Flashback: _1595._ It's a starless night above the Belgrade hill Vračar. A large pile of fire is burning blood red, its smoke going high up. Women in scarfs wail as the men with long beards stand with bowed heads. A few men in Ottoman military uniforms are bringing a covered body on a wooden stretcher. They stop near the fire and, to everyones horror, push the body into the flames.

Among the screams, the loudest one heard comes from above. It is a raspy bitter screech saying: "No! You monster! How could you take the last thing I have left!"

The voice is coming from the city walls. Ottoman has tide Serbia and left her to dangle there so she has a good view of the event. "It's your own fault. You shouldn't have rebelled against me. Perhaps, this will teach you to obey" Ottoman, who is standing on the ground bellow her, says sternly illuminated by the light of the fire.

Serbia, in tattered clothes, beaten and bruised, keeps screaming while desperately trying to free herself. Hearing his words, she simply starts struggling more.

"Curse you! Curse you and everything you stand for!" she yells,letting out horrific screeches as the fire mercilessly burns the relics of Saint Sava into dust.

Next scene: End of flashback. A meeting room in the royal residence. The table is filled with priests in black robes with an occasional state member. They all seem to be watching her, still in her national outfit, as she absently stared into the wall rolling a coin between her fingers.

"Is everything alright, our homeland?" one priest finally asks.

"Yes" she says solemnly, still absentminded "I was just thinking about something." Sad and with a heavy sigh, she puts down the coin and prompts her chin with her hands: "I completely agree. Our first Patriarch deserves a lavish church, possibly the biggest one in the world. And as for when, it doesn't matter. It only matters that it is done right."

The others agree and the meeting is soon adjourned.

Next scene: She walks slowly down a not so busy street. Her hands are in her pockets as she move one leg after the other with her head down. Upon arriving home, Runt cheerfully grunts a welcome.

"Hey there. You seem playful today" she fakes a happy face closing the gate. Runt grunts and jumps around her like a little dog. That makes her giggle: "Alright then, where do you want to go?"

Next scene: A beautiful garden with a small elegant white weekend house representing the region of Vojvodina. Around the corner is a patio above which are white metal rods holding up grape vines. Serbia, with a small hoe, and Runt enter nonchalantly. She hears voices coming from the secluded patio. It seems to be Austria and another male voice that seems familiar to her.

"Anyone here?" she announces herself. The voices stop. Austria pops from around the corner and rolls his eyes. "It's alright, it's just one of the servants" he says and sits back down into his comfy garden chair. Serbia frowns at the remark but comes with him.

Austria's guest is a young teen with blond hair and blue eyes, seeming way to serious for his age. "Well, if it isn't the German Empire. Greetings! It is very nice to see you in a non-official environment" she says in a friendly tone. Germany looks at her blank, as if wondering why this guy is addressing him.

Flashback: A narrator speaks: "Last and first time, Serbia saw Germany was at the Congress of Berlin." A still-shot filled with officials and nations of Europe arguing. "The theme of the Congress was the carving up of Balkans. Needless to say, Serbia does not have fond memories of it" the narrator continues as we see her, dressed up in latest Western fashion, sitting nervously in a chair in the corner. "Russia was demanding a Great Bulgaria while Britain was saying anything he could think of to prevent non-conquered regions of the Balkan with a Serbian majority to go to her." We see a still-shot of them arguing.

Britain talks with such zest, as if fighting for his own soil while its rightful owner sits dumbfounded, not allowed to do anything except glance at Austria hopping to God that the words that come out of him mouth are the ones she begged him to say."

Next scene: End of flashback. Slightly confused, Serbia tries to continue the conversation: "I came to see if the vegetable garden needs tending. Runt was bored so I..." at that moment Runt runs over cheerful.

Germany smiles seeing the happy little pig and calls him to come. "Is he yours?" he asks not looking at her.

"Yes. His name is Runt... Say hello little guy" she says to the pig and he grunts jumping happy. "He is really playful today" she says addressing the two male nations. The two remain silent. "Why don't the two of you play?" she says after an awkward silence.

The pig runs towards his favorite part of the garden as the young nation jumps after him.

Serbia puffs sitting down. "Your little brother is not really talkative, is he?" she says to Austria.

"No, just practical. He doesn't waist his words with people of no importance" he replies finishing his drink. Serbia looks at him annoyed. She grabs a small pot and says: "I'm going to make myself coffee. Would you like some?"

"We are having a private conversation and wish to be left alone" he snaps. "Relax...he's playing. I'll finish it quickly and be on the other side of the garden before they even get tired" she assures him.

Austria pouts but agrees: "I remember when I was as young as him. I could sled on the Alps all day" he says nostalgic. "Alps? Is that where you came from?" Serbia asks confused.

"Yes. Didn't you know?" Austria asks. "No" Serbia replies. They stay quiet. Germany can be heard in the background giving orders to his 'troops' to attack a suspicious looking rock.

Serbia comments: "That's funny, he looks nothing like you" she says to which Austria feels offended.

"That's all that darn Prussia's fault. He's been like his shadow ever since his creation" he says and the rest continues in his head "I tried getting close to Germany, but every time I did he would cut me down in the most devious ways. I swear, he is a special kind of evil. Who knows what kind of low level demon he picked up from the Holly land." Laud noises are heard and they turn their heads towards Runt who is in full speed as Germany chases after him shouting military commands. They don't slow down despite coming very close to the patio. Runt gets a menacing twinkle in his eye as he storms on Austria who doesn't realize it until it's too late. With full speed and strength of his entire little body, Runt jumps and rams Austria in the stomach. Germany stops confused as Serbia can't believe her eyes.

"You disgusting little insect! Get him out of my sight before I mince him myself" he yells still out of breath.

Serbia turns to him angry: "Bad pig! How dare you run into someone like that. You will be properly punished when we get home" she yells and winks. Then, she grabs him and exits the garden quickly while Austria is still too occupied with his pain.


	57. Chapter 55

_World Academy W_

We see Yasna relaxing on the couch with her feet up. Her hair is shiny and straight but tied so badly it resembles an small bird attacking her head. Her over-sized sweatshirt is a complete mismatch with the tattered sweatpants she had since forever. She has a bowl of ground biscuits _(usually Plazma but any b_ _rand_ _will do)_ in milk. Placing a spoon in and out, Yasna watches the mixture zoned out.

As the frame moves away from her, we see Šćepan observing her intrigued but also slightly disgusted. "And you are supposed to be one of the cool kids" he says without blinking.

She snaps out of her self-induced trans. "Oh, just having a snack. What did I miss?"

Her big brother grunts and turns to watch his program. "I just don't get it? You haven't changed that much. You're still as annoying as ever."

Yasna laughs. "And all because of some foundation and a slight change in attitude...A while ago, my classmates used to avoid me. I could've been bawling my eyes out in the hallway and everyone would just pass by. Now they follow me around just to hear my opinion. Makes you think" she says still watching the bowl.

"Yeah...like, if you acted the same way you act now, maybe we'd still be with the old gang" Šćepan says sad.

Yasna on the other hand becomes agitated. "Please don't mention them. You'll make me lose my appetite" she blurs and finally starts eating.

Šćepan continues: "Can't imagine what the others would say if they knew you still eat baby food."

The spoon stops in mid air. "Well, no one is going to find out because no one here is going to tell anyone, right?" she says in a threatening manner. Šćepan shrugs and smiles mysteriously.

As he turns to the TV, Yasna repeats dead serious: "You wouldn't snitch on me, would you? Because that would definitely turn up bad for you. You wouldn't get much and you'd be coming home to a world of pain every single day."

"Well, for a price..." he starts before noticing she was already inserting her saliva-covered finger into his ear. "Stop that! That's gross!" he yells kicking around trying to free himself. "Don't worry, purple nurple is next" she says holding him tight.

Šćepan struggles, managing to get away just enough to grab a couch pillow and hit her with it. Yasna grabs another and fights back. Mom is heard from upstairs screaming: "Kids! You better not be fighting in the living room again!" to which the two immediately stop.

She storms down, takes one look at them and returns to her bed room. They start chuckling. After calming down, she says: "Hey, why don't we go to school together like old times." Her brother still smiling adds: "Why not."

Next scene: At the school gates Yasna along Šćepan walks in accompanied by two students. "I'm afraid I really don't know what to say. I don't know anything about your rail system" Yasna says disinterested to Chaiya.

"What is your opinion on tuc-tucs?" Gupta Muhammad Hassan asks on the opposite side.

"What are tuk tuks?" she asks.

"Little vehicles with three wheels" Gupta replies.

"How fun!" Yasna smiles.

"Darn-a, I'm really in two-minds about it. I'm, um, like that I guess" Chaiya says.

"Look, I'd love to help but I don't know enough about your problems to form a decent opinion. I'm sorry, but I'm sure you'll think of a much better solution than anyone else can suggest" Yasna says. "Okay, um, thank you for your time" the two boys say and leave.

"See, what I mean" Yasna turns to her brother who hums as a reply. They see Ivan finishing his early morning training. "Hello" he greets them all sweaty to which they wave back. "How he can wake up so early to train, I will never understand" Šćepan says to which Yasna only chuckles.

The two enter the building. At the door they pass the tourist booth now with Honda who is promoting the Olympics. He had posters and flags up. All in all, he prepared thoroughly. "Please come and enjoy the games with me. It's going to be great fun" he says enthusiastically giving out fliers to interested students.

Next scene: Yasna is closing her locker ready to go to class with her friends when she hears loud swearing coming from a nearby hallway. Many students stop and look in that direction. Yasna recognizes Ivan's voice. She runs to see him kicking his locker extremely upset.

"I can't believe they are doing this to me again! How many times..." he utters before he punches the locker door breaking it off.

"What happened?" one student asks.

"He was banned from participating in the Olympic games" another replies.

"Oh no" Yasna whispers shocked. The other students aren't much happier either. Ivan squats with his face pressed against his arms mumbling something bitter. Yasna thinks for a minute. Then, she comes near him and pats his hand. "Hey, please...please calm down" she whispers.

"How can I calm down? Do you see what..." he yells before Yasna shushes him asking him to come with her.

Next scene: Having moved further away from the other students, Yasna continues: "I know how unfair this is and I know you're hurt..."

"I f*cking am. I'm also not allowed to play football in the next championship. Can you imagine the level of bull-?" he interrupts but Yasna shushes him again.

"Listen, this is not an attack on you. I know it looks like that but, trust me, this isn't" she says in a calming manner.

"Then what is this all about?" Ivan asks suspicious. Yasna takes him to the tourist booth again. Honda has just received the news. He stands perfectly still, clenching one of his fliers. His stare seems blank.

"They want to destroy the Olympics all together" Yasna says quietly. Ivan looks at her like she is crazy.

"See him? He will be affected by this the most. First it was the bad prognosis, the negative press etc. Then came this. That is why your ban was announced so suddenly and so close to the games. They want the scandal so that students boycott the games which will in turn ruin him" Yasna whispers.

Ivan looks at Honda who, thinking that no one is looking, drops his head.


	58. Chapter 56

_Warning: gore is implied_

 _End of 19-ish century_

Austro-Hungary's palace. Serbia is walking calmly in her usual outfit. Croatia is in the hallway, marvelling a porcelain vase he was cleaning.

"May God help _(_ _Помоз Бог,_ _now we use Ćao_ _)_. Working hard I see?" she greets him smiling.

"Oh, may God help you too _(shortened to Bok)_ " he says continuing his work.

"That's a nice vase. I always stop and look at it" she continues.

"Yes...I often find myself in awe of all the amazing treasures this palace holds" he says still entranced.

"Yeah...was that their wedding present? I can't remember?"

Croatia smiles reminiscing.

Flashback: The frame becomes pinkish and hazy with shiny little stars and bubbles everywhere. Exceptionally dressed gentlemen and ladies in lavish gowns for a circle on the dance podium. Hungary looking exceptionally beautiful in a silk wedding dress with subtle embroided traditional Hungarian motives and a laced veil walks hand in hand with her husband Austria wearing a white uniform adorned with a sash and gold medals. All of the nations living in the palace are there clapping enthusiastically with the crowd.

"And now, the wedding couple will have their first official waltz" the announcer says to which the two take their positions. The music starts. Croatia observes them with stars in his eyes and him mouth open.

End of flashback: Croatia looks absent-minded as Serbia watches him with her eyebrow raised. "Yeah...it sure was something" she adds smiling.

"One day, I'm going to have a palace just like this. And throw lavish balls just for fun. I'm going to have a vase just like this in every room of my palace" he says smiling.

"Good luck with that" Serbia scoffs "I doubt Austria will ever let you surpass him."

Croatia looks at her serious and a little offended. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She turns confused and starts to stutter: "Well, with the state of Europe...and don't get me started on the empires. I bet if you told one of them what you told me, he would laugh and tell you the closes you'd ever come to one of these vases is by dusting it."

Croatia glares at her, tightly holding the duster. She feels uncomfortable. "You understood what I wanted to say, right?" she asks slowly and carefully.

"Perfectly" he says in a way that leaves Serbia feeling doubt. "Um, I have a meeting with Austria. Better not keep him waiting" she says and quickly waves goodbye.

"Okay. I'll be there soon" he says coldly and continues cleaning.

Next scene: At Austria's office. He stands facing a bookshelf while Hungary, in a very modern gown, sits comfortably in a sofa. The other servants stands looking solemn. A knock on the door is heard and Serbia enters.

"You wanted to see me?" she asks entering in a usual manner.

"Yes...please sit down" Austria says not turning towards her. "There is something I was meaning to talk to you, my boy" he says coldly making the hairs on her hands stand out.

"Is everything alright? Have I done something to upset you?" she asks worried.

"Oh, no more that usual" he says with a wage smile and finally turns to our protagonist. "Please, sit down and we will talk."

Serbia looks back and sees a single chair placed near the door. Two male servants are standing near the door as if guarding it. Croatia enters through the servant's door and takes his position.

"Austria" she pleads. He takes an ancient looking book covered in leather. "Don't worry, this will be over quickly."

As he says this, the servants grab her arms and force her into the chair. She struggles but can't set herself free. Austria slowly extends his arm, reaching for a strangely shaped bejeweled knife. With the knife in one hand and an opened book in another he approaches her. Hungary calmly watches. Galicia and Transylvania discretely look away. "No!" Serbia screams.

Next scene: _Unspecified time later._ A frame of Hungary covering something with a white sheet. Austria is cleaning the knife above a bowl held by Croatia.

"I told you Serbia was a girl" Hungary says. "Oh" Austria replies. "Yes, why would this one be a girl if the original isn't?" she continues.

On the floor, we see a girl covering herself with the sheet, looking exactly like Serbia except she has medium long wavy hair. She seems confused and embarrassed.

Austria returns the book and the weapon to the bookshelf. "Not necessarily. The process is not the same for everyone. I'm actually very happy with the result. This version may turn out to be more agreeable" he says and turns to someone "Are you alright there my boy?"

The frame shows Serbia quietly shivering, holding the base of her neck. Her shirt is torn and bloody from the right side of her neck to the left armpit. Everyone is very quiet.

Austria approaches: "You need a new shirt. I'll send someone to get you another." She remains quiet, not moving.

Austria sighs and orders everyone to leave. The female servants and Hungary help the girl on the floor stand up. As she leaves, she keeps looking at Serbia as if wanting to say something.

The two of them stay alone. "I know you are upset. Does it still hurt?" he says seeming compassionate. "Yes" she shortly replies. Austria takes a chair and sits next to her.

"Listen...You knew this was going to happen. It was just a matter of time" he continues. She stays quiet.

Austria sighs: "Look at it this way. You are a sovereign nation now. You have your own responsibilities. Tasks you have to do every day. It was not easy even when you lived with Ottoman, let alone now. All those notices I had to send every time I needed you here. All that sneacking across the boarder"

Serbia gulps with drops of sweat falling from her short hair.

"Alright, I admit it... I should have told you in advance. On the other hand, you might not have come. You're stuborn like that" he says standing up and making a few steps. Someone soon arrives with a plain white shirt. Austria takes it.

"Are we still friends? I really do wish to continue good relations. We are neighbors after all. Went through thick and thin together" he says offering her the shirt.

She looks at him, still in shock, takes it and nods once. "Can I go now?" she quietly asks.

"Of course" he replies.


	59. Chapter 57

**_End of 19-ish century- a few days later_**

Serbia, looking extremely cranky, in her regular clothes with a big bag, is approaching the Vojvodina weekend house. She notices that the gate has a new shiny lock, much nicer than the previous one. "Anyone here?" she announces herself. No one replies. She walks into the shed and grabs her garden tools, then inside the house where she takes her musical instrument gusle (гусле) and a few clothing items.

Stepping outside, Serbia looks around and takes a heavy deep breath. A noise is heard coming from a nearby cherry tree. She runs towards it and smiles seeing a kid in it.

"You stuck little one?" she asks in a neutral tone. The kid immediately climbs down, quietly fuming on the remark. "Sorry, I didn't know it was you Germany?" she says backing a few steps back. The young Germany walks away without saying a word with a hand full of red cherries. He bends and starts placing them on the grass.

"What're you doing down there?" she asks curious. "Playing" he shortly remarks. In the grass, we can see lines and lines of battle formations made from various small items found around the garden. He takes the cherries and places them and the previously picked blackberries on a toothpick and arranges them with the same ruler-like precision.

"You planning an invasion?" she asks intrigued.

"No, just possible tactics in case of war with France" Germany says. "Oh" Serbia replies, glances at it again and returns to the patio. The scar on her neck starts to hurt and she rubs it while quietly cursing.

"Does it still hurt?" she turns to see the boy facing her. "Yes, as much as being cut apart into two can hurt. But thankfully the scar is fading quickly" she says solemn.

"He had to do it. An empire needs to have representative nations of all people groups at the palace at all times" Germany states.

Serbia's mood becomes grayer. "Yeah...like that was the reason. Can't wait what brilliant idea he thinks of next" she mumbles to herself sarcastically.

"Is that yours?" he says sharply pointing at the gardening tools in her bag. "No, it's Austria's. Didn't you know of his love for everything soil-related?" she says barely keeping a strait face.

"I see" the boy adds. He looks to the side and says: "I have to go soon. Are you leaving too?"

"Yes. Why?" she continues in a glum tone. Germany stays silent.

"If you are busy, you can go" she continues. He remains silent. Serbia rolls her eyes and grabs her instrument. "I'm just going to sing a quick sad epic and will be on my way."

"Oh, alright. I can wait that long" he continues trying to sound carefree.

"Are you sure? It's an acquired taste."

"Yes. I do not have a problem with it" he says suspiciously well-mannered.

Serbia hums, sits down and puts the fiddle on the string making rhythmic screechy sounds. Germany flinches but the real horror comes when she start to wail in decasyllabic verses.

"Stop!" he shouts in a state of shock. She does looking at him as if puzzled.

"I'm leaving now. Don't forget to lock the gate door" the young teen says.

"No problem. I'll walk you out" she relies standing up.

As Germany leaves the garden, she shuts the gate and leaning on it says completely serious: "Now that you've fulfilled your duty of spying on me like a good little brother..."

"Spying?! No! What makes you think that? I just came to see how my people are doing" he says with a nervous smile.

"They're fine. They have been fine for almost a century now. I don't know what Austria has been telling you about me but I am not stupid..." she continues serious and calm. After a dramatic pause she says: "Tell him.. that this is my story. Some may like it, some may not but the fact remains. This is my story. My narrative. My epic. My history."

"What does that mean?" Germany asks confused. Serbia doesn't reply. She lets go of the gate and walks to the one on the other side, easily visible because of the flat terrain. She walks out, locks it and continues not saying a word in the process.

 _ **World cruise**_

The party is still raging. The music is playing loud. There are even nations dancing. China and Serbia are talking near the buffet table. As Serbia is explaining something, India comes close to the table. As he approaches, China automatically moves away. As soon as India moves, China relaxes.

Serbia sees this. "Hey, why did you do that?" she asks.

"Do what?" China replies.

"Moved and ignored India like that. Are you two in good relations?"

"Yes, of course. I just have to be careful. You never know who your next rival is gonna be" China says serious.

"Aha" she replies and takes a loud sip. "Have you ever fought each other?" she asks curious.

"No."

"Really? You two are more than 3 000 years old. You never had a conflict?"

"Well, no" China replies.

"So why worry about it now? I mean, why insinuate bad feeling for no reason?"

"You don't know that. Maybe he's planning something."

"Like what?" Serbia is persistent.

China signals for her to look closely. They both slouch and take a look at India. He sees them and innocently waves.

"Did you see that?! He's clearly up to something" China whispers paranoid.

Serbia facepalms herself. "Do me a favor China and stop looking for nemesis where there are none. You may accidentally create one."

China starts pondering. The frame moves slowly away to show the party atmosphere.


	60. Chapter 58

_**Modern times – Current 2019**_

A peaceful morning in the Balkan neighborhood. Serbia has decided to take advantage of an exceptionally warm November day and have her morning coffee in the garden. She takes out a steaming cup, a bunch of newspapers and a pack of smokes and places it on the table.

"I don't care. You can't put that here" she hears from Bosnia's house.

"I haven't decided on anything yet. I'm just checking" she hears Croatia. There is some further commotion she looks over and sees them wrestling with a toxic waste barrel between them. "Well don't. You'll contaminate my part of the garden" BiH continues.

"What's going on?" Serbia asks confused standing near the fence.

The two stop wrestling and look at her. "He wants to put toxic waste near my fence" Bosnia says. "I told you that I'll be careful" Croatia says. "You said you haven't decided yet" Bosnia yells.

Serbia let's out air annoyed. She returns to her chair before noticing Kosovo* is kicking pebbles hitting the make-shift gate. "Hey, what are you doing?" she shouts. He replies by sticking out his tongue.

"That's it. Stop that! You're destroying my yard and don't even respect the boundaries you yourself made" she says strict walking closer. A pebble hits her in the leg. "Ouch, okay. You asked for it" she yells angry and grabs a branch with which she hits the fence across a few times.

The boy steps back. His mouth drops low. "Albania!" he yells turning to her place.

"What's going on?" Albania approaches her fence.

"This little monster is being a brat again" Serbia says pointing to him with a stick. Albania looks at him and says: "Honey, you have to calm down and play nice."

"Me!" he says in shock "What's wrong with you. Don't you know who my friends are?"

Both Serbia and Albania look at him disappointed. The boy's lower lip starts to quiver. "You'll see when I'm in full strength. You'll be sorry when I rain nuclear bombs on you" he yells angry at Serbia.

She calmly leans in with her hands cross: "Hey KiM, why don't you look around?" He does and sees all the neighbours observing him quietly. "Do you think you can threaten like that and get away with it? Trust me, my child, things have changed" she says serious.

Kosovo* smirks. He looks around with a frozen smile and sees the nations surrounding him are staring very annoyed.

"You don't scare me. Don't you get it. I can do whatever I want" he says spiteful.

"No you can't" another male voice says. It is Greece who saw everything. The others turn.

"You need to calm down boy. No one is amused by you any more" Greece says seeming stern. Kosovo* laughs as loud as he can and returns to his shack.

Serbia finally sits down and takes a sip of her now lukewarm coffee.

"Never a dull moment, ha Serbia?" Bulgaria calmly addresses her, also sitting in his garden chair close to his rose garden.

Serbia shrugs and sighs grabbing the first newspaper.

 _ **World Academy W**_

We see the school as the narrator speaks: "Another day at the prestigious World Academy. Let's see what these bright mind are up to now."

Next scene: In the hallway, we see the majority of students rioting completely ruining it. Francis is holding up a sigh, his tie is hanging loose, his shirt is tucked up in an untidy manner into his wrinkled pants, as he yells: "Strike, strike!"

Heracles, Arthur, Govert and some other European students are striking and refusing to go to class. Antonio is yelling and cursing himself.

Julio, Claudia, Corisande Mandalena, Camilia Rodrigey and some other South American students are chanting waving their flags. The Middle Eastern students are the worst kicking and screaming at anyone who passed them.

Wang Jia Long is still at it again, but is thankfully quieter. Bhart is acting up too.

Yasna passes with Alexia and Dafina. They all walk carefully observing the whole mess. "Wow things are really getting out of control" Dafina says.

"Yes, thank God, that this doesn't affect us" Dafina says with a tell-tale sweat drop on her temple. The two girls look away whistling.

"I'm going to class. Bye" Yasna says and walks into a quieter hallway.

Next scene: At the door of her Social Studies class, she sees Ivan whispering something to Marina Mizemehemmedova's ear to which she giggles and flirtatiously pushes him away. Yasna freezes waiting for a second while her face turns red.

The two notice her. "Oh, hi. Didn't see you there" he says calmly. Yasna smiles at Marina and compliments her long black hair. She replies in kind and the tension seems to disappear.

"Say, can I borrow Ivan for a second?" Yasna asks to which Marina nods and goes inside. The moment she's gone, Yasna turns towards him changing her expression from fine to downright furious.

"What's with the face? I though you weren't interested" Ivan says playing it cool. Yasna inhales through her nose and as she is about to say something the speakers are heard.

Next scene: In the main hall. The principle is announcing: "Attention all students!" He could barely be heard from all the noise. A loud sound of someone pulling their nails down a blackboard is heard. Everybody stops and covers their ears.

"Now that I have your attention. This destructive behavior has gone on long enough. I order you to stop destroying the school and go to classes."

"And if we won't?!" a student from the crowd screams.

The principle from the speaker replies: "Then I will have no choice but to lock all the exits and play a recording of the kindergardener's first philharmonic concert until you change your minds."

"You...you can't do that" someone stutters. There is silence. The speakers get turned on again and the sound of numerous screeching violins starts.

The students scream in horror and start tidying up and running to classrooms. The speakers are then turned off.

 _Sorry if some of the names of character's are not correct. There are various sources and I had to decide on one._


	61. Chapter 59

_End of 19th century_

An official Austrian delegation enters the Serbian Old Palace. They are greeted by the king along side the Serbian officials. The first thing the delegation is offered is a silver plate with sweetened cherries and water glasses **{similar to the br** **e** **d and salt promise but waaaay sweeter. You're suppose to take only one spoon-** **full** **btw}**. Both nations are their. They greet each other formally and exchange small-talk. After the meeting, Austria asks Serbia to take a walk with him.

Next scene: The two nations walk the streets of Belgrade. "How have you been my friend?" Austria says emphatically.

"Good, thank you for asking" Serbia replies formally. They continue walking.

"You didn't need to call out Germany like that. He was very upset when he returned to my palace" Austria says calmly.

Serbia nods: "It was pretty obvious what he was doing."

"Well, he is extremely sensitive" Austira continues. Serbia rolls her eyes. After a minute she says: "I see. Please convey my sincerest apology if I don't have a chance to apologize in person soon."

"I will. If he hasn't forgotten it by now. And what was that nonsense with 'your story'. What did you mean by that?" Austria asks.

"Oh, I was just playing with his head" she says calmly, turns to the readers and winks.

"I figured as much" Austria says smiling.

"Where would you like to go your Empire? To see a play, have dinner..." Serbia starts. At that moment, Austria interrupts: "Oh for Heaven sake Serbia. Stop with all the formalities. Are you still salty because of the division? Don't you have your people spread all over the world?"

Serbia blinks: "Yes, that is true. However, I thought that this is the proper way to address you now... Since I am only a small country near your borders."

Austria sighs annoyed. "Well, it's not. Such bevavior is only necessary for court. Now stop acting so stuffy and take me to some place fun" he says. She smiles mischievously.

Next scene: A cobblestone street filled with kafanas with live music in each one. Austria looks around and points: "Let's go there?"

"No" Serbia replies with her hands in her trouser pockets.

"How about there" Austria shows another place.

"Just follow me and don't wander off" she says slightly annoyed.

"I can manage by myself. I am a nation after all" he adds. "Please don't. I wouldn't want to have to explain to your boss and Hungary what happened to you" Serbia replies.

Next scene: Inside one of the kafanas. There are tables and live music, as well as people enjoying themselves. The band and the female singer, in a dress way skimpier than was the norm for that time, are making the crowd cheer and sing with them. The intoxicated Austria is enjoying the spectacle, while Serbia is at the bar talking to the owner of the place. It is a short older woman with shiny black hair although it could easily have been a wig. The tanned lady was a true mystery. She told Serbia that she was an illegitimate child of a Hungarian aristocrat. Others that she came from Ukraine. She kept changing the story depending on who she was talking to. She would change her accent in the same manner.

"...Let me tell you, If I was the queen, I would double the number of kafanas. If there wasn't enough space on land, I would build them over the river" the owner says into Serbia's ear. She laughs chugging her drink.

"River? Why not the sky?! We could make kafanas dangling of large sticks. That would be a fun experience" she jokes.

Next scene: Early morning. We see Austria asleep in a wheelbarrow. Serbia pushes it onto the street. "Thanks for letting me borrow this. I'll send someone to return it in an hour or so."

"Anything for you. By the way, will you think about my proposal?" the lady says to Serbia who nods. "It's a good idea but, in the long run, it will only damage my reputation. Hard to be taken seriously if you are seen as the party nation, you know?"

"Oh well. It was just an idea" the owner says and they say goodbye. The wheelbarrow hits the cobblestone and the bumpy trip back to the palace begins.


	62. Chapter 60

**_Beginning of 13 century_**

We see a medieval port and on it Duklja, Hercegovina and Rashka waiting along side the royal suit. Serbia starts to narrate as we watch them nervously expecting someone: "Say about election what you like but at least they are better than the way new kings were chosen in the past."

Next scene:(1196) "I don't care what father says, the throne is mine!" Vukan screams at his younger brother.

"He clearly stated that I am to be his heir" Stefan yells back. Rashka and Duklja observe worried. Their mother, now a nun, begs: "Won't you please stop. You are brothers. Can't you simply respect your father's wishes. He did it for a reason."

"I apologize mother but I cannot accept such humiliation" Vukan states and grabs his sword. "Ready your men brother, we will decide this on the battlefield" he says and leaves calling Duklja to come with him which the little kingdom unwillingly obliges. Rashka waves at her big brother sad.

"The former queen was right. Their father had decided to make his middle son his heir because he was married to a Byzantium princess, making him the son-in-law of the Byzantium Emperor. His older son's wife was not."

Next scene: (1202-1205) Scene of a fierce battle. Yelling soldiers, clanging of swords and banners and neighing horses. Serbia narrates: "And so a civil war started. With Hungary on Vukan's side and Bulgaria on our, there was no telling who would win. The fighting devastated the countryside. And in all that chaos, the crusaders of the Fourth Crusade managed to sneak by." A visual of all this.

"Luckily, a voice of reason arrived" we see monk Sava looking serious with a few other men dresses in monk clothing carrying a sacred coffin. A scene of the three brothers meeting over their father's relics. "On the request of their mother, he has returned and managed to reconcile them. Vukan agreed to stay in Duklja and rule there while Stefan Prvovenčani remained as my sole heir."

"However, during this little family feud, the fields were unkept, creating a famine...but there were more bad news" Rashka standing on a dusty field receives a message. "Constantinople's gates have finally been breached. The city has been ransacked and Byzantium crushed. She would never recover." We see an image of Byzantium devastated. In her eyes we see a reflexion of soldiers stealing her possessions.

"With that, my new boss decided to get rid of his wife. Her previous promiscuity didn't help her neither. *****

 ***{The guy basically threw her out and send her back home just in her nightshirt. This sound terrible and he was definitely no angel, but imagine sending a cheater out on the street like that. Talk about a walk of shame}**

He decided on a Venezian princess in order to secure an alliance with the upcoming new powerhouse. And he got it."

Next scene: (1217) The ship finally arrives. On it, among the Venetian suite and the princess, a small boy dressed in white gets out. The three are surprised to hear that it's Veneziano. Upon seeing them he jumps and waves making him even cuter.

Next scene: At the wedding ceremony. Veneziano talks to Serbia. "Now that we are formally allied, how about we discuss you switching to Catholicism?" he says with his adorable high-pitched voice. Drops of sweat fall on Rashka and the others' temples simultaneously.

"Actually, I prefer it this way thank you. I'm afraid that my priests don't have the self discipline and piety like yours to manage to live without a spouse" she says in an attempt to kindly reject him. Hearing that, Veneziano becomes serious. He then starts cryng and drops on the floor kicking and rolling around. Everyone in the church stares at him. Rashka feels embarrassed.

"So, we got the bride and the support and, yes, after some negotiations, a crown blessed by the Pope" she narrates.

Next scene: (1217) Scene of the coronation with the Pope's emissary. Rashka looks pleased. "And that is the story of how I became recognized by the rest of Europe. Phew! Sure was glad to get that thing off my to-do list" she says as we watch Rashka finally relax.

 ** _World Academy W_**

Snowflakes are slowly falling on a sleepy town. It's a late December night and everyone is inside their comfy homes. Yasna pulls the curtain away from the window to look at the snow. She is wearing her winter sweater and jeans. As usual when she is alone, Yasna is deep in thought.

Taking longs slow steps, she falls back on her bed and stares at the ceiling. "I was never happier for a school year to be over than I am now" she exaggerated with a sigh.

Flashback: Quick scene with Ivan and Marina.

"I shouldn't have attacked Ivan like that. I did turn him down...and yet, I hate seeing him with other girls. What's wrong with me? Am I a possessive loony like Natalya? She at least has the common sense to have a boyfriend. Unlike me..." she thinks while looking solemnly at the plain white space above her bed.

Another flashback: Yasna with her entourage walks the center of the hallways with her head high. Most students, not all, at least turn to glance at her, some start talking about her with their friends. Those brave or dumb enough try to draw her attention in the silliest ways. She ignores all, masked by her pleasant smile, passing through.

"And yet, when I go to school, I lose the desire for it all together. Boys are just so stupid. They only chase after girls that others boys are or would be interested in. And then it's your fault for not falling head-over-heels for the 55th guy who complimented you that day. As if..." her thought train continues.

A pleasant smell comes from downstairs. Feeling hungry, she jumps up and stretches. Her sweater rides up along with her undershirt to reveal her waist. At that moment she hears knocking on glass and almost has a heart attack seeing someone at her second-floor window.

"Merry Christmas" Tino says dressed as Santa Clause. Still trembling shook, Yasna manages to quiver her lips into a smile. "I brought you your Christmas present. Can you please open the window?" he says innocently extending his arms so she can see the red and green wrapped box.

"Sure, one moment please" she says through her teeth and hastily opens her closet.

"I know it's a bit unorthodox but I figured since you are still awake..." we see Tino's face all happy and his eyes closed. As soon as the window opens, he feels a burst of wind and sharp pain on his face.

He opens his eyes to see Yasna furious, holding a tennis racket. "I get my presents on New Year you perv! Now get out of here before I smack you silly" she yells and swings the tennis racket again.

Tino barely manages to avoid it, ordering his reindeer to fly away. "I'm so sorry for the inconvenieeeeeeeeeeeeeence" is heard as he and his sled become tiny specks in the sky.

"I mean really" she mumbles closing the window and shutting the curtain.

 _Well, that's all for today. Happy holidays!_


	63. Chapter 61

**_Italia Veneziano - one shot_**

Blank space. A chibi version of the teen Italia in his iconic attire pops up in the middle of the frame. "Hello there Italy" the narrator says sweetly. "Uh, a pretty female voice. Ciao, ciao disembodied lady" Italy replies delighted.

"Thank you" the narrator continues. "Italy was so kind to play a guessing game with us today" she says to which Italy does the 'okay' gesture with his hands.

"Okay then, let's start. What is the most influential conqueror from Italy?" The little boy opens his mouth excited. "And no. Romans don't count" she interrupts to which he starts to ponder.

"Is it Napoléon Bonaparte? He's from Corsica so..." he starts. "Um, no. The answer is not that straightforward. Try again" the narrator replies.

The teen crosses his arms. A light-bulb appears above his head. "I know. Chirtopho Columbo. He discovered Central and South America which lead to their colonization, so technically..."

"I'm sorry, but you are on the wrong track. I'll give you a hint. It doesn't have to be a person" the narrator continues.

Italy sits down in the Thinking Man pose. He suddenly gasps: "Maybe my merchants who travelled all over the world..."

"No"

"The nobility who through marriages influenced most European monarchies?"

"Not even close."

Italy is becoming irritated: "In that case, the artists of the Renaissance! All the painters, sculptors and poets like Leonardo Da Vinci..."

"Nope" the narrator interrupts.

"Then it must be religion! Yes, that must be it. All the Italian Popes, like Pope Innocent III that shaped the history of Europe and the World" the teen start frantically shaking his arms excited.

The narrator is quiet. Th teen nervously stares as the frame zooms in on his tense expression.

"Sorry but no." The narrator's words, although spoken in a normal tone, strike the young nation like a wave and he falls down with his tiny feet in the air.

"Alright, I give up. What is the greatest conqueror from Italy" he stands up with a giant vein popping from his temple making the WTF gesture with his hands*. _**{The name of all gestures is typed above in the moment of use}**_

The narrator is quiet. After a few seconds a giant theatre stage with closed curtains falls in the background.

Italy turns, looking at it confused. The curtain opens and we see his little face light up. He makes an 'I can't believe it' gesture while smiling.

Next scene: The frame shows us the stage. We see a pair of house open-toed slippers. As the frame moves up, we see a long dress, apron and a pair of hands holding a wooden spoon. The frame stops at an elder pleasant looking woman's with her hair tied in a bun.

"I present to you the typical Italian mama. She and many many Italian women throughout history have conquered our hearts and stomachs with their ingenious cuisine. Using only simple ingredients they had in the house, they created some iconic dishes that are made world-wide on a daily bases.

The Chibi teen smiles as the mama hugs him. She makes the 'are you hungry?' gesture to which he replies 'starving'. They leave the frame together. The frame is empty for a second before Italy returns to send a kiss and say goodbye.

 _Well guess who had fun learning Italian hand-gestures today. They are hilarious!_

 ** _End of 19th century_**

We see a few still-shots of the rooms in the Austro-Hungarian palace. Czechia, Galicia and Hungary are in one of the rooms. Hungary, in an luxurious day dress, reads a book while the other two clean and chat.

"...So Germany left and I was told to clean the room he stayed in. To my surprise there was nothing to clean. Everything was the same as before his arrival. Odd" Czechia says wiping the bookshelves.

"Mhm... He's such a weird child" Galicia responds wiping the table. "Hey, aren't the three of us supposed to be on duty today? Where's..."

"Oh, she took a day off. Some reunion or whatever" Czechia replies. She checks to see if Hungary is listening. "Look at her lounging around. Ever since she got married she has done nothing but change from one dress to another" she whispers to her smaller companion who shushes her. "What? She can't hear me. Probably too busy following the plot of a cheap romance novel" she quietly mocks.

Hungary closes the book and stands up. Hearing her footsteps the two girls gulp and stop talking. Hungary puts the book titled 'Basics or Industrialisation' and takes out a heavy book simple named 'Economics'. She looks at the empty space where the book was and sees dust. "You haven't cleaned this properly. Do it again and this time wipe beneath the books too" she says to Czechia in a stern manner. Czechia nods and wipes the spot.

"For your information, I have been doing plenty. You think it's easy supervising all the house chores? With help like you, I have to open four eyes just so the work gets done right" she says calmly while staring at Czechia crossed.

"Oh, I was just joking around. As we did in the old days, remember? When we all..." the girl tries to lighten the mood but Hungary's expression remains serious.

Hungary then turns to Galicia who shrugs her head into her shoulders. "He may be a weird child, as you put it, but he is immensely powerful. He can tear you to pieces in a manner of second. I strongly advize that you not talk about him like that" she says in a cold manner. Galicia nods a few times. They continue working and Hungary returns to her spot to read.


	64. Chapter 62

_End of 19th century_

The railway station in Vienna in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. A train is announcing it's arrival whit a whistle. There are many people on the platform. Some waiting for their train, others waiting for their loved ones. A young lady waits there as well. In hair and dress, she resembles any middle-class girl. Dressed modestly, with a simple black bag, the only extravagant detail is the hat with quail feathers. While she waits, a bearded figure in a black coat is standing near the gate, paying close attention to her every move.

As the passengers get out, a thin young man gets out dressed in a casual suit. The girl notices the passenger and waves. Seeing this, he joyfully runs towards her and they embrace. Upon close inspection, we see that they have identical facial features. Same wide pearly smile, same nose and lips and the same dual-color eyes.

"I'm so happy to finally see you again?" says Serbia. "Me too. Thank you for making the time to meet me. I rarely get free days, you know" the girl replies. "Of course, I found the time. Whenever you are free, call me and I'll be there on the next train" Serbia says.

Her female companion looks around. "Where is Runt? I miss him" she asks disappointed. "Oh, he says he's avoiding Austria but I think he just doesn't like trains. All those people with their big feet. It makes him nervous" she says as they leave the station. The figure in black follows them making sure that he is in an ear-shot of them.

Next scene: The two identical individuals walk the city streets making the passers-by gawk at them in wonder.

"Are you hungry? I'm taking you to this nice secluded place I know. My treat" the girl says.

"Sounds great. We should celebrate our first outing together" Serbia adds happy.

"Actually, we are celebrating much more than that" the female smiles mysteriously. "Austria and Hungary had a discussion and decided that all the servants at the palace should from now on represent nationalities and not regions. They are really keen on this whole national awakening trend."

"I know, felt it on my own skin" Serbia says bitter. "And then what happened?"

The girl smiles. "Well, all the regions with a Serb majority got together and...There was a showdown, showmanship of skills, intelligence, agility etc...And now" she raises her chin slightly and tilts her head "Now there is only me." Serbia looks at her and taps her on the shoulder proud.

"You are looking at the sole representative of Serbs in Austro-Hungary" the representative continues (from now known as SAH).

"Can't say I'm surprised" Serbia says in a congratulatory manner.

"It was pretty epic actually. I'm so sad you didn't see it" SAH says. "The feeling is mutual" Serbia sighs. As we watch them slowly walking from behind, we see the men in black still sneaking around.

"So what's new? How is everything in the kingdom" the girl asks. "Oh, good, good. There are still a lot of things that need to be done, you know. But, I think there's progress. For example, I don't have as much experts as I would like. I urged the people from rural areas to send more of their children to school and they did. The ambitious even come to big cities to continue their education. It's a little bit unfair to them because they are looked down on and...and sometimes don't have a place to sleep… But there are kind people who help out, and you can always sleep at the cemetery and benches."

"Oh my God, is it that bad? That's not right! You should take better care of our people. Abolish corruption, house the students, give better working conditions and..." SAH criticizes astounded.

"Hey, it's not easy alright! I'm trying my best but there is just so much I can do with the resources I have. Half of our people are still under Ottoman rule. You can't erase that slave-on-your-own-land mentality in a week, despite being the owner of that very same land. It will take at least another generation to change the way people see the world" Serbia raises her voice mad.

SAH frowns but stays quiet.

Serbia continues calmer: "You'd think that chasing away the invaders is the hard part. I realize now that is just a prologue. For true progress you need a stable environment. And for a stable environment you need people that are not constantly looking over their shoulders if someone will attack or not."

"So let me see if I understand. Stable environment means peace, right? Does that mean you will leave the still-occupied half to suffer?"

"No...after I free them, I need a stable environment for progress. And time, lots and lots of time. You know how our people are. If you demand too much too quickly, things might end badly for you."

The girl laughs. "You have a point there. You'll get there, when you're ready. In the meantime, I think I might have some educated young people to help you get on your feet" her counterpart replies.

"Terrific! I'll find them a nice cushy job right away" Serbia says excited.

Next scene: At the place extremely similar to a kafana, the girls have enjoyed a meal and now asked the musicians to come to their table and play their favorite songs. As the instruments _(tamburica)_ play and everyone joins in on the singing, SAH whispers into Serbia's ear: "Don't look and pretend I'm telling you a joke. That guy in black has been following us all day." Serbia laughs loudly and nods.

"That must be Austria's spy. You need to know this but you didn't hear it from me. He hates your guts. Everything about us from the beginning to the 18th century has been erased from history books. You can't even imagine the filthy lies he tells other empires about you. Be very careful when dealing with him. He is not your friend" SAH says and starts clapping and singing loudly. Serbia joins her, but in reality her heart is in her heels.

"Don't worry. I'll always be here for you" SAH continues putting Serbia's head on her shoulder. Serbia genuinely smiles and sheds a tear. The festive atmosphere continues.


	65. Chapter 63

**_Beginning of the 13 century and onward_**

The year is 1227. The whole story is imagined as one continuous shot. A medieval funeral. We see Rashka with her head bowed wearing a black cloak over her armor. "O hi" she says noticing us. "I suppose you would like to know what happened next. Very well, let me just get out of these clothes" she says and pulls the cloak over her head. The cloak goes over the entire screen and when it's lifted, we see her walking the hallways of a castle still in her armor.

"As you can assume Stefan Prvovenčani had recently died. The title was supposed to go to his oldest son Radolsav (Радослав)" she passes a young man with a crown in the stone hallway and he says 'Hello' to us. Rashka stops with him still in the background. "But unfortunately, he ruled only for a year before his younger brother Vladislav (Владислав) overthrew him. What can I say. Some people have that mental stamina for governing and some don't" We see another young man with a beard and sword taking the crown away from the first. The first young man leaves with his head bowed.

She continues walking. "If you remember, the two were son's of the first wife. The promiscuous Byzantium princess. Fun fact, her maiden name was Angel" she chuckles. "Don't feel too bad for Radoslav because he later became a monk just like his uncle Sava."

She stops to greet an older monk with a grey beard who has young Radoslav, dressed in monks clothing, by his side. Sava gives her a parchment which says 'Constitution' on it. The two monks then bow and move out of the frame. "Sava was truly something. I sometimes think he had more influence from his monastery in far away Greece than his brothers and nephews did while kings. Oh and here is another fun fact. Many from my ruling class accepted the monastic life. Some sooner, some later but there was a fairly high number of holy people from the court."

Vladoslav appears and loudly clears his throat. Rasha notices and smiles: "Right. So my new king ruled for 10 years. Nothing really special happened during his reign." The king gets insulted and takes out a red and blue flag to which Rashka nods. "Well, nothing special at my place at least" she says looking out the nearest window. The frame moves from the window to the city and hills beneath and quickly turns back with the sound of a stopped record. "But later on that. I have a few more people I want to introduce you to" she says and walks outside.

Leaving the castle and proceeding to the open garden, Rashka continues: "After Vladoslav came Stefan Uroš I (Стефан Урош Први), his step-brother." We see the crown being taken from the previous king by the new one. He then puts it on his head and signals the previous king to leave.

"He ruled for 33 years and kept things pretty stable. He focused on exploiting mines which made the economy flourish. Which meant more money; which meant more monasteries, better castles, housing, clothing and even more prestige" she says as she walks upon an open field. We see a bunch of men in different attires and hairstyles speaking in foreign languages.

"In fact, skilful people came from all over Europe to work her. Mostly as miners and craftsman but also as mercenaries." The frame goes to a soldier who signals them to come one by one, giving pick axes to some and swords and shields to others. Rashka steps back into the frame and adds: "Apparently, if you worked hard and long enough, you could earn a fortune and return home a relatively rich man. Some could even afford mansions...Go figure."

The frame moves so we can see the castle in the background. The king steps out with his two sons, one older (and presented taller) and one younger (presented shorter). King Uroš I looks at them both and picks the shorter one. The young man claps happy and takes the crown despite the taller protesting.

"The next king was Stefan Uroš Milutin (Стефан Урош Милутин), the previous king's second son. If you started to notice a pattern then, congratulations you have been paying attention" Rashka speaks and walks away while we watch the young men bicker. "In the end, the older, Dragutin (Драгутин), renounced his claim aaaand...became the vassal ruler of less important Srem which was also Serbian but, let's face it, the south was where the party was. And the party was just heating up" she trots to a nearby battlefield where her new king is with his army. He gives her a sword.

Romanos and Bulgaria are there. She first fights side-by-side with Romanos against a masked representative with a white baloon-shaped hat. They manage to push him away. As he runs, Rashka turns to Romanos and signals him to pay up while holding her sword in a threatening way. He solemnly agrees.

As Romanos leaves, Bulgaria shows up. After a quick sparing match, he loses his sword and is pushed away by Rashka. She signals him in the same manner as Romanos. He accepts but is very angry about it. "So during that time I gained Skoplje, northern Albania and Vidin too. I had a slight skirmish with the Tatars but..." an arrow hits her in the head and stays there "let's say it didn't end well. Luckily, we were able to negotiate our way out of it. The king sent his oldest son as a hostage. The boy did not take this too well." We see a young boy looking at his father the king before the Tatars take him away.

She takes out the arrow and walks into another castle much more lavish than the one before. The female servants have better clothes as well. The king is wearing a crown with more jewels and a golden embroided outfit previously only seen in Byzantium. Architects stand around him showing him numerous models of monasteries and churches as he ponders observing them. "Build them all!" he proclaims to the joy of all.

"He also had many wives. Five to be precise" Rashka states as the architects leave and four women dressed in different fashion take their side by him. "But unlike his predecessors, he didn't banish them as soon as an opportunity for a more powerful alliance emerged. He just kept them around...like sister wives" she shrugs. "That's how powerful he was. But the most important alliance with the Byzantium Emperor that caused a scandal. The alliance was needed so badly that the emperor offered to send him his very young daughter" Rashka gives the king a trade card. He takes it and looks back at her uneasy. He sits and takes a piece of parchment and quill. "He wrote back that he will adopt her first, and marry only when she becomes an adult" she says glancing over to see the letter. She adds as the king stands up and walks towards someone.

"He ruled for 39 years. His successor was, surprise surprise, his second son Stefan Konstantin (Стефан Константин) which was to his first one, the one he sent as a hostage, unacceptable." Now old Milutin walks and puts his hand on the younger king wearing his crown. Another middle-aged man, Stefan Dečanski (Стефан Дечански), comes over with a sword and tries to take the crown by force. Uroš I tries to defend his heir but is too weak. The old king coughs, sits on a chair and dies. The frame moves away as clanging of swords is heard to Rashka, who observes the battle disinterested.

The frame moves back showing Stefan Dečanski putting on the crown and posing triumphant. The frame slowly zooms in on him as Rashka narrates: "Stefan Dečanski came to the throne in 1322. Poor guy. He didn't have an easy life, but it's not like he wasn't out looking for trouble. He was a Tatar hostage for 5 years, and then exiled to Constantinople for 7 years and blinded by his father after a failed coup. Still, he ruled well. Kept the kingdom thriving. Built more monasteries, the most famous being Visoki Dečani... My glory days started with him. And what happened next? Well, that's a story for another time."

 ** _November of 1885._**

An open peaceful field. "Seriously, when will you grow up? You never change!" Serbia's head pops up and yells.

"I don't see what's so childish about it. I want to gain my independence and regain my territories. What's wrong with that?!" Bulgaria yells back. They are both wearing their national attires.

"There is when you have your eyes set on other people's territories...Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. Ask Greece if you need a reminder" she continues angry.

"There you go. You two always ganging up on me. I should have known. Well, this is my moment to shine and I ain't budging" he says pointing to his chest proud.

Serbia loses her temper and attacks. They clash, grabbing each others shoulders as they continue to shout insults at each other. After some struggle, Bulgaria manages to mustard the strength and push Serbia to the ground. She falls in slow motion, completely baffled by what just happened. Bulgaria can't believe it either.

He stands observing her amazed: "Ha! I did it! I beat you!"

She is still on the ground, silent and confused. "You...How? I would always beat you in battle. No matter how big you got. I toppled opponents a thousand times stronger than you. I am unbeatable" she mumbles with eyes open wide.

"Not any more" Bulgaria gloats. "I won Serbia. Now pay up!" he says as she is standing up. Serbia looks at him angry and is ready to say something before another voice is heard.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible" Austria nonchalantly walks towards them. "You see, Serbia here is a sovereign country. His territories cannot be taken away in such a vulgar way."

"But I beat him. I wan't my country as well!" Bulgaria protests.

Austria looks at him and continues calmly: "How about we make a deal."

Next scene: Austria is sitting in his comfy study reading a newspaper. "And so the deal was made. Bulgaria was not given new territories but he was recognised by Western powers" the narrator says.

There is a knock at the door. "Come in" Austria says. It's SAH, in her work outfit. She stands near the door extremely happy about something.

"Yes?" he asks glancing at her before returning to his newspaper.

"I just wanted to say, I heard what you did for the Serbian kingdom. Thank you" she says and does a curtsy.

"No need to thank me my dear. I was just doing my job" he answers calmly.

"Nevertheless, I am truly grateful. If there is anything you need me to do..."she starts.

"Honestly, it's fine. Just keep doing your job well" he smiles. "Is that all?"

She nods. Still smiling, she turns and leaves the study. Austria continues reading in peace.


	66. Chapter 64

**_Year of 1203 - after the Crusader raid_**

Constantinople is burning in the quiet night. We see the scene from the window of a tower.

"That Catholic brat! I should have set a fleet of ships to his shores a long time ago. One strategically placed Greek fire would have gotten rid of him for good" Byzantium says through her teeth. She is visibly shaking from rage, with her dress torn and many jewels missing. She grips the window rim as if she was a caged animal.

Varangian is there tending to him wounds. He got severely hurt getting her and Romanos away from the capital. Romanos, in slightly damaged clothing, stares at her worried. He has never seen her so angry.

"Damn it! Damn everything. Why couldn't they just leave me alone? Why do I have to endure all the endless attacks and destruction. Every time I make something beautiful there are at least a dozen savages just aching to destroy it. It's just not fair! Why God why!" she screamed as she hit the hard sill with her bare hands causing them to bruise. Romaons finally comes near and begs her to stop. The two of them sit underneath the window. She starts sobbing. "I simply can't take it any more Romaonos. It's just too much."

He pats her on the hand tenderly. "It's alright, mother. You don't have to fight any more. Let me do it for you" he says calmly. Byzantium stops crying and looks at him.

"Are you sure my child? Are you truly ready?"she asks taking his hand. The young teen smiles and confidentially nods. She hugs him and smiles. Her eyes are still filled with tears.

The young empire smiles. He places his head on his mother shoulder as the narrator starts: "Romaons was determine to keep his promise. They, with many more of their people, found refuge in Despotate of Epiruse, Byzantium region encompassing today's Albania. With his emperor,Michale and later Theodore Komnenos Doukas, he expanded into today's Northern Macedonia. With their successors he went even further, managing to reclaim almost all the previous Byzantium territories in Europe in a little over 50 years." We see the teen Romanos standing tall on one of his ships as his hair flows in the sea wind.

"Unfortunately, The East Roman Empire was never the same again" the narrator states as we see her sitting in a poorly lit room with her hand on her tired face. "But that's a story for another time."

 _ **World Academy W**_

A serene photo of the school. The narrator starts: "It has been pretty quiet since the principal banned protests at school. However, no one could stop them happening out in the open."

We see the school park. Julio Paz is holding up a flag of his indigenous people chanting: "I want my president back! I want my president back!" Alfred, who walks by whistling with his backpack over one shoulder, notices this and frowns.

He slides over to him so suddenly that Julio flinches startled. "What's all this about?" Alfred asks suspicious.

"Um, I want my old president back" Julio says a bit scared. Alfred continues to stare at him blank. He then starts laughing: "Haha...what, are you stupid? You just got rid of him. That's not how democracy works."

"No! That wasn't democracy, that was a hostile takeover. I don't want these new people ruling me. I don't even like them. No one likes them. In fact, they couldn't get elected in regular elections even if they were the only candidates left on Earth" Julio says regaining his confidence.

Alfred remains quiet and stares at him disapprovingly. "I'm watching you" he says menacingly and slides out of the frame.

Next scene: The next student Alfred sees is Wang Jia Long. He is holding up a sign that says 'FreeHK" and yelling: "Revolution! Revolution!" Alfred observes him for a while smiling and comes over to hug him.

"That's the spirit. Ain't nothing better in the world than starting a New Year with a pledge to democracy and freedom of speech" Alfred says with Wang Jia Long still in his bear hug.

"I want my president back!" Julio's voice is heard. Alfred sharply turns in his direction. He let's go of Wang Jia and trots back yelling: "Hey, shut it! Don't you make me come over there." Screaming is heard as well as Alfred's muttered threats.

Wang Jia looks at them with a raised eyebrow and continues protesting.

 _Happy New Year everyone! Hope it's a good one!_


	67. Chapter 65

**_End of 19th century_**

A steam train in motion. "Long before my independence from the Ottomans, I have tried to find strong support" Serbia narrates. We see her sticking her head as her short brown hair moves away from her face. "I have done so with limited success or poorly at best. It seemed that the monarchies weren't interested in me or my problems. Still, I didn't have the luxury of holding a grudge. Not as such a small nation with two powerful and possessive neighbours" her narration continues.

Serbia looks back into the compartment. There are a few older distinguish-looking men in suits. She is wearing one herself. The narration continues: "I thought I could trust Russia, but after the way he stood by Bulgaria during the Berlin congress, I wasn't so sure anymore." A flashback of Russia tapping Bulgaria lovingly on the head as Bulgaria felt awkward and flattered at the same time. Serbia is in the back. Her face is red and the word 'Jealous' is flickering above her head. "We made amens later; however, my government considered it best to search for new allies." We see the train heading west.

Next scene: At Germany's palace. In the hallway, a palace official walks them through the process.

"Please try not to raise your voice. Flatter him immensely. You are on thin ice as it is" he states extremely serious.

"Me? For what?" she asks confused. "Wait, is this because..."

"I am here to inform you on the rules, nothing more. Whatever your transgressions were, be assured the German Empire will have them in mind during this meeting" the official continues.

"Look, I had a bad day and he hid really badly. Can't I just apologize and start over?" she asks starting to feel nervous.

"You cannot simply start over. Your rank on the value bar had already been set. I suggest you don't lower it any further by antagonizing him" he says as they approach the large door.

Entering the large lavish throne room, they see the young nation standing on top of the carpet covered stairs. Prussia is a few steps back, observing the delegation with a smirk. Germany stares at them silent, inhaling deeply through his nostrils. Serbia fakes a smile but the rest of her face stays terrified.

Next scene: "The atmosphere was much more relaxed at France's place" she narrates as we see France and Serbia sitting ion a garden drinking wine.

He put his glass down and spoke: "I see your problem Serbie, but I am afraid I cannot help much. Your main exports are agricultural products and meats. Both would spoil two times over before reaching my boarder. If you had any industrial products, perhaps we could negotiate but..."

"There is something" Serbia interrupts. She straightens up and states almost ceremoniously: "Ore." France moves his eyebrows up.

"I have lots of it. All kinds. Even had a few mines back in the Middle ages. I would be happy to tell you more if you are interested."

France smiles, pours more wine into her cup and says: "Please do."

We are left with a still-shot of his smiling face as Serbia narrates:"Making France an ally was a very smart thing to do. He turned out very important in years to come. Especially during the Austro-Hungarian sanctions in 1906-08, also known as the Pig War.

 ** _Ancient times_**

An ox-cart tied to a post with a very large ball-shaped knot. The frame zooms in on the knot and we see its many layers. The narrator starts: "The Gordian knot. Made to chose the right king, it was suppose to convey the importance of the mind when it comes to entangling seemingly impossible tasks of ruling."

As we look at the cart, we see a young man coming over with a sword. He swings it and cuts it open in one swing. The young man turns toward us. It is Alexander the Great. He looks at the elders with a proud smile as if he decrypted the secret of the universe. The elders observing this are horrified.

"To those usually inclined to the sword, such decision may seem rational. The knots were too tight and too entangled. Solving it one after the other would take years of effort and a different way of processing the world. But his way was not correct. Brute force was not the answer. His life and death are proof of this."

Next scene: We see the Gordian know floating in space. "Thinking outside the box, letting the mind reach depts previously impossible, we can understand anything." The knot untangles itself and transforms into threat on a loom. A woman with a scarf works on it.

"Our myths follow us. They give us wisdom and shape our world" the narrator continues as we watch the woman make a quilt. "It may take time. Centuries even. But eventually we will find the proper way to untie the Gordian knot. At least metaphorically."


	68. Chapter 66

_End of the 19th century – at the previously mentioned meeting with Germany_

"I hope that past misunderstandings won't affect new trade opportunities. You are the greatest modern weapons manufacturer in Europe" Serbia says sitting on the opposite side of a table to Germany and Prussia. The members of her delegation stands behind her.

Germany, using mannerisms way to mature for his age, nods. He held his fingers entangled near his chest making a triangle with the edge of the table. "Of course not. The affairs of state have no business affecting matters of business. That is if the payments are regular of course."

Serbia couldn't stop her mind from wandering to the time she and her friends were that young. All the fights, pranks, fart jokes and laughing about mispronounced words. But that was a different time, for different kids. "About that, what happens if I for some reason cannot pay on time? Can the payments get paused in case of natural disaster or, God forbid, war?"

"Why do you ask? Are you planning to go to war?" Prussia interrupts.

"No, I was only asking in case such a thing happens..." she says as her eyes move from one nation to another.

They become quiet for a moment. "All your actions after taking the merchandise, despite the circumstances, will be noted and will greatly affect any future trade" Germany says stern.

"I see" she replies.

"And it would be wise not to start any problem with with our allies. It won't affect trade but you probably would not like having our government as an enemy. I know what pain Austria can be but..." Prussia adds nonchalantly.

The delegation starts to protest, speaking for the first time since they entered the negotiation room. "Why does everyone keep asking me that? Why would I fight someone as powerful as him? I'm not an idiot."

"You fought Ottoman" Germany says.

"That's because he is torturing and banishing my people. Austria is arrogant…

"As he has every right to be" Prussia adds.

"...but he tolerates them...at least the ones that live at his place. I give you my word that I have no attention of attacking Austro-Hungary now or ever" she says with confidence.

"Alright then, since everything is arranged, I will end this meeting" Germany says and stands in a military position. He shows them the door and the delegation leaves.

Next scene: "What a strange child" a delegation member comments to which Serbia shushes him. "Be quiet, he may hear you" she whispers making her pace faster with every step.

Modern times

At the EU office: Germany is in his office when the door knocks. "You wanted to see me?" Serbias head pops up.

"Yes" he stands up and officially states: "I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your progress. Reforms and hard work you showed as an EU candidate are commendable."

Serbia smiles happy: "Does this mean I'm a member now?"

"No" he shortly replies. "But you will be awarded for your efforts" he says and presents her with a red and white credit card. She takes it confused.

"It is a card for your private use. You may spend it however you wish" he says as we watch Serbia inspect it. "How much money are we talking about?" she asks.

Germany puffs out some air through his mouth. "Enough. My personal gift, hope you enjoy" he says calmly.

Serbia smirks. "Is this a trick? There is no way you are being so generous with no strings attached. I'm going to have to pay this back with interest, aren't I" she says still smirking. "The only string is that you don't use it for something illegal. And don't crash the economy."

She raises her eyebrow.

"Alright then. I have some business to attend so if you would kindly..." he says showing her the door. Serbia says goodbye and leaves.

Next scene: Serbia is walking the streets on an unspecified European city still observing the credit card. She ponders for a bit and looks around. There are many clothing stores around. She grins and we see a montage of her entering the stores one by one, leaving with the sound of the register with more and more shopping bags.

Next scene: Get me the most expensive desert you have" she says entering a posh pastry shop. She is presented with a plate and gives her hard. It is accepted. "Hmmm...can you put gold on it?" The shop clerk does so and reads the card again. It again gets accepted.

Next scene: Back home, Serbia sits down on a park bench, tired, carrying an enormous amount of bags. "I can't believe I spent so much. I should be more careful with the rest. Give it to charity or invest, but how am I going to do that if I don't know how much money I have left?" she mumbles as two figures approach her. It's Czechia and Slovakia.

"Hey guys. What's up?" she asks greeting them. "What are you doing at my place?"

"Well, we were going on a vacation to the Croatia's seaside when someone wanted to stop by and say hello" she says teasing Slovakia. He smiles ans says to Serbia: "Nice to see you again. It's been a while since the last time we saw each other."

"I suppose it has. Hey, how about I show you around. My treat" she says waving the red credit card. The two look at each other and shrug.

"Besides, we have a drinking match to finish" Serbia clearly addressing Czechia. She smiles and accepts.

Next scene: That evening in Germany's house. We see him watch TV alone, sipping on his beer. His phone rings and he answers it. A party is heard through the speaker.

On the other side of the line, Serbia, in an extremely good mood, is in a club surrounded by intoxicated people partying. Slovakia and Czechia and getting a thousandth flaming shot of the evening. She speaks loudly as to be heard over the music: "Hey, it's me. Just how much funds did you put in this? I have been spending like crazy all day and it keeps being accepted."

"I'm glad you're having fun" Germany is barely heard.

"Listen, I'm having a party at a club at my place. I'm going to spend this card even if it's the last thing I do. You wanna join us?"

On the other side, Germany scratches his head: "Whose with you?"

"Czechia and Slovakia for now. She and I have some unfinished business, hehe. But I'll call the rest as soon as I finish this call."

"I already decided what I'm going to do tonight. There is a Mr Bean marathon" he says.

"Really?" her voice is heard "I mean he's alright but not worth staying in."

"I disagree and besides I already have my night planned out. I'm sorry that I won't come" he replies.

"Well...okay then. I'll hang up. See you" she says.

"Good night."

Next scene: The two intoxicated nations look at her. "Why so gloomy? Are you surprised?" Czechia says. Serbia is silent for a bit.

"He hasn't changed at all, has he?" she asks them.

"Nope" Slovakia replies.

"Not in the slightest" Czechia responds chugging another shot.

Serbia shakes her head and takes a shot herself. She takes her phone again and dials the next number.

 _You are probably wondering why I put these two stories together. Honestly, I have no idea. Just thought I should let you know._


	69. Chapter 67

_Warning: you may get scared just a little_

 _World Academy W_

A white door opens and we see Alfred entering a narrow hallway which leads to a large fairly modern living room. "I'm home" he says nonchalantly throwing his backpack on the armchair.

"Hey" Mattew, who is on the couch with his bear, says. "It was about bloody time. Where have you been. School ended two hours ago" Arthur, who is putting something in the freezer, adds.

"Chill out, bro. I had some business to take care off" Alfred says literally dropping himself on the couch, spreading his arms and legs so wide, Mattew has to scoot over.

"Alright then. I have to go to work now" Arthur says getting his bag and coat.

"Ah man" Alfred says turning to look at him dissatisfied. "All you do is work. Can't you take a day off or something. We literally never hang out."

Arthur sighs: "Someone has to pay the bills around here. You should be grateful that I, as the oldest, took that burden upon my self...And besides, it's only every other night."

"Whatever" Alfred says waving his hand. Mathew doesn't react. He just sits with his bear in his lap.

"I'll see you two tomorrow. If you get hungry, there are some scones in the freezer" he says and walks out. The faces of the two brothers turn pale.

"Don't worry, I'll make pancakes" Mathew says and gets his apron with the maple leaf on it. Alfred continues to chillax putting his feet up on the coffee table.

Next scene: Another door opens. They have a big NFL poster on it. Alfred opens it. Mattew's voice is heard saying goodnight. "Good night bro!" Alfred says and enters the room filled with his favorite stuff. From sport's memorabilia, to movie posters and even albums of his favorite boy band. As soon as the door is closed shut, Alfred loses his cool facade. He rubs his neck and sighs.

Next scene: A small cabinet door opens. We see that it is filled with prescription drugs. Alfred, with a worried expression, takes a few. In his tiny private bathroom, he pours their entire content into his hand and swallows them all.

As he gets into bed, we hear his thought: "I have to keep it together. Gotta stay cool, gotta stay though."

The night has fallen a long time ago. The room is illuminated only by the streetlight outside. Alfred is in bed, throwing a football up, unable to sleep.

"I'm managing to keep my demons under control. All except the biggest two" we hear his train of thought. He looks at his TV. Two motionless figures are on each side. One red, one blue, looking exactly like him with only their eyes covered by shadows.

"They are driving me nuts. All the horrible things they make me do. All the wars, divisions, fighting, manipulation, clashes. I can't catch a break" he stops throwing his ball and stares at them.

"Should I stay with the red? Blue really ticked me off last time. Then again, the red is getting on my nerves now… Maybe I should just get rid of them both? Then again, if I do that, all my enemies would attack all at once. And I've made a lot of enemies" he continues. Still looking extremely anxious, he takes the remote and turns on the TV. One of his favorite shows is on. The two figures disappear, hit by the glow of the TV. Alfred finally smiles, taking up a comfy position.


	70. Chapter 68

_Extremely current_

The EU cafe. The weather is cold but sunny. All of the outside chairs are empty except for one. Netherlands sits with a glass of orange juice, staring into the distance.

"How you holding up brother?" Serbia's voice is heard close-by. She is talking on the phone. "How do you think I'm doing?" yelling is heard from the speaker.

We see Montenegro at his house, the black hairs on his head stood up from anger. His chest is covered with golden crosses and his desk with small icons. "I can't believe that son-of-a-**** did this! I mean, I could tolerate the drugs, the stealing, the oligarchic attitude towards the people. He was the ruler after all. Give the ruler what is his and we will take what's left. But you know what goes before that line?!...Give to God what is his!" (Богу божје. Цару царево, а нама шта остане)

"What a great little poet you are" we see her say.

"Hey, don't start. I have to go now and talk some sense into to my president for life" we hear him yell.

"Good luck. I'm rooting for you. Hope you manage to change his mind" she says.

"Oh I will. Because if he doesn't, I'm gonna go Orthodox hillbilly on his arse" he adds loudly and hangs up.

Serbia puts down the phone and sighs. She finds herself in front of the cafe. "Hey, what are you doing here?" she asks noticing the lone Netherlands.

"Enjoying some fresh air. It's a bit stuffy inside" he responds calmly.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I had a tone of paperwork to deliver. It's really a hassle if you ask me. I don't know why I couldn't simply send it via e-mail. All that paper wasted for nothing."

"Mhm" he says. She sees the juice glass on his table. "Is that all you are having?" she asks confused.

"Yes" he responds as if it is the most normal thing in the world. She looks at him suspicious: "Okay... Somehow I imagined you liked edgier stuff. Is everything alright?"

"Yes...actually not yet but I'm getting there" he sighs. "It's complicated."

Serbia is about to say something but gets another call. Before she answers she says: "Gotta go. Good luck and bye." She then walks away answering the call. "Hey Srpska..."

Netherlands stays in his seat. Croatia opens the cafe door and looks around. "That's strange. I could swear I heard someone?" he mumbles. He then asks Netherlands: "Hey, was that a customer?"

"No" he replies in a serious but calm tone. "Okay" Croatia says. Before going back inside he asks him again: "Are you sure that is all you want to drink? I have all kinds of stuff in here."

"Yes, I'm sure" Netherlands replies. The new bartender goes inside. Netherlands takes a sip of his very orange orange juice.


	71. Chapter 69

**_World Academy W_**

An image of the school. "There's never a dull moment at the World Academy. Let's see what the students are up to this time" the narrator says.

Next scene: Claudia, Rema, Julio Paz and Hyung Soo are lying in the school park, forming a circle with their heads. For this purpose, we will call it the pity circle.

Claudia sighs: "So hungry. Because of these damn sanctions, it's getting harder and harder to find food."

"Tell me about it" Rema adds "I have to worry about them and rebuild after the war."

Carlos Machado and Julio nod in compassion. "I, sadly, share the same fate as you" Hyung Soo says.

Carlos turns to him: "You kind of deserve it, dough."

"I sometimes ask myself what's the point of it all. Are we born only to suffer?" a girl, whose covered head helps make the circle, says with her tiny voice. The others turn to her shocked. "Where did you come from?" Claudia exclaims.

The girl turns her bony malnourished face towards her and says confused: "What do you mean? I've been here the whole time."

Rema sighs: "That darn Alfred. I hope someone teaches him a lesson."

Footsteps announce someone approaching. It's Amir Gilgamesh standing above them, with a black eye.

"You alright there?" Julio asks.

"You should see the other guy" Amir says and lays beside them, adding another head to the circle.

"Is it over?" Rema asks.

"Yep. Only a complete nutcase would continue antagonizing me now" he says in a cold manner. They all smile, look up to the sky and sigh in unison.

Next scene: In the hallway, at the same time. Three gym teachers stand in the middle of the hallway with a menacing look on their faces. They have their large muscle arms folded. "Attention all students" one yells. He has long blond hair tightly tied.

The students stop and listen.

"We heard that there is a rumour that we sanctioned Ivan in order to sabotage the games. I assure you that is not the case" another one says with a burly voice. The students blink without saying a word.

"We have made our decision based on solid evidence. We will not tolerate some conspiracy theory slanting our good names" the last one with dark hair says.

"That is all. See you in P.E." the first one adds.

Dafina, Yasna and Aleksia stand near their lockers. "Wow, they sounded really unconvincing and really mad" Dafina says amused. Yasna scratches her face nervous. "Yeah, I bet if they ever found out who started the rumour, that student would do push-ups for life" Aleksia adds giggling. The two girls notice that Yasna is missing.

Next scene: She quickly passes Ivan in the hallway. He waves hello but she is in such a hurry she doesn't even turn.

"Hmm, probably didn't see me" he says entering the boy's room.

Next scene: Inside that very same boy's room. Ivan watches his hands when he hears groaning from one of the stalls. It sounds like someone in great pain.

"Are you okay?" he says and the groaning stops. Ivan carefully steps closer. He looks down and sees a small pool of blood. In panic, he grabs the door handle and yanks it open. "You are not attempting suicide in there, are you?" Ivan yells. He is horrified when he sees Alfred face all bloody, with his glasses broken.

Alfred grabs the door and shuts it again. The two don't say anything for a couple of seconds.

"You didn't see anything, comprende" Alfred says from the closed stall.

"Sure, sure" Ivan nods confused and still in shock.

"Good. Now leave" Alfred says in a threatening way.

Feeling a little sorry for him, Ivan obeys. He quickly exits the boy's room and we see the door close.

The frame zooms in on the door and the narrator concludes: "And that, dear reader, was another exciting day at the World Academy W. Make sure to join us next time. Goodbye."

 _ **13 century onward**_

Hercegovina and Rashka are chit-chatting about random political events. Bosnia is playing nearby. Rashka complains to her friend: "You won't believe the problem I have. There is this sect of Christianity. They don't eat meat, they are pacifists and are extreme worshippers. All that I can understand, but they don't want to pay taxes or work for their feudal lords. Can you imagine?"

Hercegovina nervously laughs sipping her drink. "I know, think of the economy" she says somewhat nervous. Bosnia overhears them and comes closer. "They are not that bad. In fact, my boss, Kulin Ban, accepts them here. They're a great addition to my kingdom."

Rashka looks at him as if he is crazy: "I don't think you understand how these things work. They will affect others and very soon all of your peasants might become fanatics."

"Says who? I don't see it happening that way" Bosnia says defensive. Rashka shakes her head and gets her sword. "Where are they?" she asks Hercegovina.

"Hey, what do you intend to do?" Bosnia asks frightened.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to fix this little problem for you" she says and goes in the direction Hercegovina points at. Bosnia runs after here. "Don't do that. My boss promised them sanctuary. You will make him look like a fool!" he says off-screen.

"Get the fire wood. And prepare the town square" Rashka is heard determined. Bosnia is heard protesting. We see Hercegovina sigh.


	72. Chapter 70

**_End of the 19th century – at the previously mentioned meeting with Germany_**

"I hope that past misunderstandings won't affect new trade opportunities. You are the greatest modern weapons manufacturer in Europe" Serbia says sitting on the opposite side of a table to Germany and Prussia. The members of her delegation stands behind her.

Germany, using mannerisms way to mature for his age, nods. He held his fingers entangled near his chest making a triangle with the edge of the table. "Of course not. The affairs of state have no business affecting matters of business. That is if the payments are regular of course."

Serbia couldn't stop her mind from wandering to the time she and her friends were that young. All the fights, pranks, fart jokes and laughing about mispronounced words. But that was a different time, for different kids. "About that, what happens if I for some reason cannot pay on time? Can the payments get paused in case of natural disaster or, God forbid, war?"

"Why do you ask? Are you planning to go to war?" Prussia interrupts.

"No, I was only asking in case such a thing happens..." she says as her eyes move from one nation to another.

They become quiet for a moment. "All your actions after taking the merchandise, despite the circumstances, will be noted and will greatly affect any future trade" Germany says stern.

"I see" she replies.

"And it would be wise not to start any problem with with our allies. It won't affect trade but you probably would not like having our government as an enemy. I know what pain Austria can be but..." Prussia adds nonchalantly.

The delegation starts to protest, speaking for the first time since they entered the negotiation room. "Why does everyone keep asking me that? Why would I fight someone as powerful as him? I'm not an idiot."

"You fought Ottoman" Germany says.

"That's because he is torturing and banishing my people. Austria is arrogant…

"As he has every right to be" Prussia adds.

"...but he tolerates them...at least the ones that live at his place. I give you my word that I have no attention of attacking Austro-Hungary now or ever" she says with confidence.

"Alright then, since everything is arranged, I will end this meeting" Germany says and stands in a military position. He shows them the door and the delegation leaves.

Next scene: "What a strange child" a delegation member comments to which Serbia shushes him. "Be quiet, he may hear you" she whispers making her pace faster with every step.

 _ **Modern times**_

At the EU office: Germany is in his office when the door knocks. "You wanted to see me?" Serbias head pops up.

"Yes" he stands up and officially states: "I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your progress. Reforms and hard work you showed as an EU candidate are commendable."

Serbia smiles happy: "Does this mean I'm a member now?"

"No" he shortly replies. "But you will be awarded for your efforts" he says and presents her with a red and white credit card. She takes it confused.

"It is a card for your private use. You may spend it however you wish" he says as we watch Serbia inspect it. "How much money are we talking about?" she asks.

Germany puffs out some air through his mouth. "Enough. My personal gift, hope you enjoy" he says calmly.

Serbia smirks. "Is this a trick? There is no way you are being so generous with no strings attached. I'm going to have to pay this back with interest, aren't I" she says still smirking. "The only string is that you don't use it for something illegal. And don't crash the economy."

She raises her eyebrow.

"Alright then. I have some business to attend so if you would kindly..." he says showing her the door. Serbia says goodbye and leaves.

Next scene: Serbia is walking the streets on an unspecified European city still observing the credit card. She ponders for a bit and looks around. There are many clothing stores around. She grins and we see a montage of her entering the stores one by one, leaving with the sound of the register with more and more shopping bags.

Next scene: Get me the most expensive desert you have" she says entering a posh pastry shop. She is presented with a plate and gives her hard. It is accepted. "Hmmm...can you put gold on it?" The shop clerk does so and reads the card again. It again gets accepted.

Next scene: Back home, Serbia sits down on a park bench, tired, carrying an enormous amount of bags. "I can't believe I spent so much. I should be more careful with the rest. Give it to charity or invest, but how am I going to do that if I don't know how much money I have left?" she mumbles as two figures approach her. It's Czechia and Slovakia.

"Hey guys. What's up?" she asks greeting them. "What are you doing at my place?"

"Well, we were going on a vacation to the Croatia's seaside when someone wanted to stop by and say hello" she says teasing Slovakia. He smiles ans says to Serbia: "Nice to see you again. It's been a while since the last time we saw each other."

"I suppose it has. Hey, how about I show you around. My treat" she says waving the red credit card. The two look at each other and shrug.

"Besides, we have a drinking match to finish" Serbia clearly addressing Czechia. She smiles and accepts.

Next scene: That evening in Germany's house. We see him watch TV alone, sipping on his beer. His phone rings and he answers it. A party is heard through the speaker.

On the other side of the line, Serbia, in an extremely good mood, is in a club surrounded by intoxicated people partying. Slovakia and Czechia and getting a thousandth flaming shot of the evening. She speaks loudly as to be heard over the music: "Hey, it's me. Just how much funds did you put in this? I have been spending like crazy all day and it keeps being accepted."

"I'm glad you're having fun" Germany is barely heard.

"Listen, I'm having a party at a club at my place. I'm going to spend this card even if it's the last thing I do. You wanna join us?"

On the other side, Germany scratches his head: "Whose with you?"

"Czechia and Slovakia for now. She and I have some unfinished business, hehe. But I'll call the rest as soon as I finish this call."

"I already decided what I'm going to do tonight. There is a Mr Bean marathon" he says.

"Really?" her voice is heard "I mean he's alright but not worth staying in."

"I disagree and besides I already have my night planned out. I'm sorry that I won't come" he replies _(I apologise to all fans of Qinine how making this part way to similar to the commercial. I just realised it myself)_.

"Well...okay then. I'll hang up. See you" she says.

"Good night."

Next scene: The two intoxicated nations look at her. "Why so gloomy? Are you surprised?" Czechia says. Serbia is silent for a bit.

"He hasn't changed at all, has he?" she asks them.

"Nope" Slovakia replies.

"Not in the slightest" Czechia responds chugging another shot.

Serbia shakes her head and takes a shot herself. She takes her phone again and dials the next number.

 _You are probably wondering why I put these two stories together. Honestly, I have no idea. Just thought I should let you know._


	73. Chapter 71

_From 1331. onward_

A heavy wooden door. An armored hand gently knocks.

"Hey Byzantium, it's me, Rashka. Can I come in?" she says in a friendly way. It's quiet.

"I'm sorry but I am currently not accepting any visitors. Please come again another time" the former empire replies.

"Byzantium, please. I simply want to apologize for my behaviour. I was emotional and rash and it wasn't my place to say those awful things" Rashka is persistent.

"I understand that, my dear, and I am not mad because of that. I forgave you a long time ago" Byzantium says through the closed door.

"Then why won't you let me in? Don't make me plead outside your doorstep" she replies.

We see inside the room. Byzantium is standing quiet near the door with her hands folded. She is very sad but still appears elegant and regal. Her dress is somewhat simpler and she has three gold necklaces, one gold bracelet and a pair of large heavy earnings instead of a dozen but they are still lavish and beautifully detailed. "Please understand my sweet child. I am not feeling well. Why don't you come and see me when I am feeling better. Is that alright?" she says in an apologetic way.

On the other side, we see Rashka offended. "Fine" she says "If that is what you want, so be it. Farewell."

Next scene: Extremely grumpy, she comes down a flight of stairs where Romanos is waiting for her. "Told you. She doesn't want to talk to anyone. Just sits in that damn tower and mopes" he says worried.

Rashka sulks and turns to her friend. "Thanks for inviting me but I'll be going now."

"No problem" Romaons says smiling "Please feel free to come by any time." Rashka frowns: "Now that you mentioned it, you are welcome to come by my place any time too. I would love to show you what I have done with it."

Romaonos smiles nervously and says: "I'll think about it." Rashka stares at him as he begins to sweat. "Why do you never want to hang at my place?" she asks bluntly as he places his hands in a defensive position and shakes his head.

"Of course I do. I came plenty of times...Um, like that one time when your boss was Stefan Nemanja" he says still nervous.

"That was two centuries ago! And you only came to take him away in chains*."

 **{Fun story, don't really have time for it now}**

Romaons seems confused. He puts his finger on his chin: "Really. I must have forgotten that part."

At this point, steam starts coming out of Rashka's ears. "I'll come, I promise" he says annoyed.

"See that you do. Bye" she replies and leaves.

Byzantium sees her ride off on her horse from her tower. She observes her until Rashka disappears from her viewpoint. She sighs and looks at her hands. They are dry, grayish and flaky. She sighs deeply and looks out the window again.

Next scene: Back at Rashka's castle, and a sturdy and glorious castle it was, she gets off her horse and walks towards the throne room. "Her current boss, Dušan Nemanjić (Душан Немањић), was not what you would call a saint...In fact, he wasn't even canonized" the narrator speaks.

She enters and the frame turns so we can take a better look at the room. The frame moves slowly from the bottom of the stairs to the man sitting on the throne. We see a few guards standing perfectly still in their shiny metal armors. Rashka's boss, an extremely tall and strong man, leans on the armchair.

"...His father died under suspicious circumstances and he wasn't what you would call 'tolerant' towards the different religious minorities in his kingdom, far from it."

Flashback: A stillshot of lots and lots of fires. He stares into them cold as we hear screaming.

"But he was smart, assertive, a good general, a good husband and had a strong ambition to make this small kingdom into a strong and enormous entity" the narrator continues.

Back at the throne room. "So how is the old empire?" he asks as soon as she comes close enough. "I wouldn't know. She wouldn't let me in" Rashka replies displeased.

"Perhaps, she didn't want you to see her in her weakened state. Seeing a young kingdom on the rise as she withers away would probably be too much for her" he continues.

"Well, I don't want to talk about it" she says "Is there anything else you need from me?"

"Actually, I wanted you to meet the latest addition to my personal guard" he says pointing at the knight at the bottom of the stairs to the right. The knight bows. Rashka does the same.

"Translate to him that this is our representative who has been with us since my royal family came to power" the king orders.

"Longer...I was here longer" Rashka corrects him. As a knight above him translates the knight bows even deeper. "Where are you from?" she asks.

"From the snowy Alps, your immortal kingdom" he says ceremoniously in his own language.

"It has always fascinated me how you can speak so many languages. There wasn't a foreigner who stepped into this castle that you couldn't understand" the king says impressed.

"It's fascinating to me how you humans can't understand each other. You all speak about the same topics and yet your mouths convey them in such different ways" she jokingly replies.

The king smiles: "I actually prefer when they don't speak my language. That way they can't scheme against me." He turns to the guard and speaks again: "Tell him to take his sword and kill the kingdom."

The other guard does so. The new guy seems shocked. The others don't say a word or move a muscle.

Rashka rolls her eyes annoyed. "Please don't...I'm really not in the mood."

The king snickers and signals the pour guard to obey. He takes his sword and charges. Rashka takes out her sword and avoids his attack almost board. The young guard tries again. She dodges his attack, not even lifting her sword. The king observes them amused. After about ten minutes, the man, clearly infuriated and tired, stops to catch his breath. She stands close to him yawning. As she is about to say something to the king, Rashka notices a blade approaching her eyes.

In slow motion, we see her with an enraged look as she hits the opponent's sword making it fall to the ground. The guard realizes that he is done for as her fist approaches his face. At that moment the slow motion stops and we see in normal speed how his face is smashed in as he flies in the opposite direction. The king laughs out hysterically.

"That wasn't funny! He nearly gauged my eyes out. You know how sensitive I am about my eyesight" she yells mad. The king can't catch him breath.

"Seriously, there is something wrong with you. Must you do that with every guard?" she yells mad.

"How else am I going to know, if they're obidient or not" he manages to utter still laughing.

"Well, if you had your fun, I'd like to go to my quarters and rest" she bows almost sarcastically. The king waves approval as he tries to collect his composure. "Get that man a doctor. He deserves a raise!" is the last thing we hear as the room's door closes.


	74. Chapter 72

_The cruise party_

Some nations, to everyone's delight, suggest a dance competition. Everyone gathers around the dance floor to watch the most skilled among them compete. Serbia gets out, skipping to the beat, just to refill her punch. She stands near a table with a huge bowl of punch the same color as the crimson table cloth.

North Macedonia joins her. They start chatting and eventually decide to stay there.

Next scene: "I can't believe people compare dancing to having intercourse. I mean, imagine being with someone and that person starts doing the head spin" North Macedonia says.

Serbia can't help but have a fit of laughter. "You said it!" she replies after finally catching her breath. North Macedonia speaks after observing her the whole time: "You visualized that, didn't you?"

"Yes" she admits blushing.

"It's fun, isn't it? It's not a world-changing experience as the humans portray it, though. I guess that without the hormones hijacking your brain, it loses some of it's appeal" North Macedonia continues.

"My, my, my. Do you have something to share my dear?" Serbia adds with a sly smile.

"Oh come on! Don't act as if you haven't...or were at least curious" her shorter friend teases.

"Curious? Maybe. It's difficult to stay indifferent. Reminders of it are everywhere." Serbia sips her drink and chuckles: "Perhaps it's a good way to spend a dull weekend."

The two girls giggle, blissfully unaware that someone is listening to their every word. They are the only ones near the table and the music is so loud no one from the crowd can hear them.

The circle separates and we can see only a few contestants remaining. The last ones are Argentina, Brazil, Zimbabwe and DR Congo.

"Who do you think will win?" North Macedonia asks.

"I don't know, but Congo is pretty good" Serbia replies.

"Aha!" an ear-piercing scream is heard behind them. The DJ stops the music. Everyone turns their heads towards the punch table. The two girls are completely dumbstruck by what they see.

Prussia stands, with two wide planks on his shoulders, covered by the crimson table cloth, pointing at Serbia. The punch bowl is wobbling on his head. Serbia and North Macedonia are suddenly nauseous. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" Serbia screams horrified.

"You admitted it. I heard you. You were with him" Prussia continues to yell pointing.

"What?"

"I knew it. Now you will have only khaki-colored babies" he says dead serious.

"What are you talking about?!" Serbia yells incredibly irritated. "Can someone please take this lunatic out of here?"

Hungary and Austria look away. "I don't know who that is" Hungary says.

"I have never seen him before in my life" Austria adds embarrassed.

There is dead silence. Everyone is staring, not knowing what to do. Prussia stands frozen still pointing. Germany approaches, hiding his face with his hand. He picks up his deranged brother like a statue and slowly walks out of the frame.

 _World Academy W_

Recess time. Ivan is casually walking down the hall when he sees Yasna pacing straight toward him angry. "What did I do this time?" he thinks to himself before greeting his enraged friend.

She stops, holding her books in front of her as a shield and slowly says: "What are you doing?"

He looks at her confused: "I'm sure you'll tell me." This only makes her angrier. "You know what I'm talking about! Why are you making such sudden changes to your government?" she angrily whispers.

"Oh that" Ivan smiles. " You really don't need to worry about it. I'm just making some beneficial adjustments."

Yasna is still unconvinced but she manages to calm down. "Are you sure? You are not doing this just to appease some European student? Because we talked about this, and…"

"You know, for a girl that is just a friend, you are truly acting like a nagy girlfriend" he interrupts. Yasna, a little dazed by the statement, stops to think.

"So, you are not capitulating?" she carefully asks.

"No. Please use different sources for your news. I suggest some Russian media, it has subtitles" he says calmly. Yasna smiles and apologizes: "I don't know why I acted that why. I guess you have that effect on girls."

"He truly does" Nathalia appears from behind his, scaring Yasna a little. "Wh-where did you come from?" she mumbles.

"I'm like my big brother's shadow. I'm always by his side" Nathalia replies with eary music in the back.

"That's right" Ivan says. "Sometimes, I have to double check that she doesn't follow me into the toilet. It's pretty tiresome."

Alfred walks by them giving Yasna a death stare. Confused, Yasna calls out to him. He stops a few steps away waiting for her to come over.

"Is everything alright?" Yasna asks after walking over. Alfred looks at her angry and disgusted. "Nothing much. I just remembered what a monster you were. I'm glad I put you in your place. That's what you deserve for bullying little kids" he says in a threatening way.

Horrified, she freezes, spotting a little figure observing them from behind a locker. She looks back at Alfred who is still frowning.

"I can prove everything that little brat said is a lie" Yasna defends herself.

"Oh please."

"I assure you. I had everything recorded. Every atrocity he said I committed was a set up. I swear. I will bring the tapes tomorrow and..."

"Spare me your lies. You may have changed your appearance but you are still a sly and manipulative person you've always been" he says extending his palm and walks away.

"No, I'm not. Please let me show you" she says as her voice breaks and her eyes tear up. She is about to run after him when she hears Ivan's voice: "Now who chases after the cool kids?"

She turns and wipes a tear. Ivan hugs her with one hand and walks her to her class.

"It's just not true. I am not a monster" she quietly cries.

"I know. I know" he says softly.


	75. Chapter 73

_From the year 1346. to 1355._

A peaceful field near a giant river. We see an armored figure strolling with a melancholic expression. It's the Land of Serbs or Serbia, previously known as Rashka. She looks around as if looking for someone. She has been traveling all over her newly established empire for many days now. From the south cost of the Adriatic sea ending near the Peloponnese, to the good chunk of Bulgaria and the mighty Danube. She wandered the area alone and deep in thought.

Flashback:"The newly appointed king was ready to continue the conquering streak of his predecessor" the narrator speaks. We see Rashka battling with Hungary. They take a few good swings at each other and seem to be in a deadlock. After a few strenuous minutes, Rashka says: "Hey, where's your Adam's apple?" Hungary panics and loses her focus for a second which is long enough for Rashka to strike her sword away from her. Hungary stares at her unarmed to which Rashka simply extends her palm in a 'hand your territories over' gesture. Hungary exhales through her nose, as Rashka's army cheers behind her.

Next scene: We see a short rock wall in the middle of the field. "Fighting with Bulgaria was business as usual." We see Rashka jumping over it as her army with one of her previous bosses follows. She quickly returns smirking, holding a crown. The army follows. Bulgaria comes and jump over the same wall followed by his forces. He quickly returns with the spoils of war. This scene repeats a few times, with only the bosses changing. It stops when Rashka comes with king Stefan Dušan. They return with a crown and a few representatives of provinces.

Next scene: "Some battles were easier than others" the narrator continues. We see the king getting into his battle gear, when a messenger arrives. He opens it and raises his eyebrows reading the content. The other knights and Rashka look at him curious.

(from 1341- 1347) A scene of Romanos and Byzantium arguing. This is one of the rare opportunities she has let him in the room. "I am telling you mother, Kantakouzenos would be a better emperor!" Romanos yells pacing.

"No, the Empress-Dowager had spoken. That imposture will only take the throne for himself" Byzantium says looking away, hiding her arms with long sleeves.

Romanos is getting furious: "Times have changed! We need strong people to lead. We can't simply fall back on tradition."

"I said what I meant. If you don't like it, there's the door" Byzantium raises her voice turning away from him. The teen walks out slamming the door.

Next scene: We see Rashka smiling, placing a giant book on the table. Sitting next to her is an extremely dissatisfied Romaons sulking. "Would you look at that. You finally came to my place" she says genuinely happy.

Romaons looks away still sulking. "I can't believe my boss gave me up for military assistance."

"Well, he really really needed my warriors. But don't worry, you'll love being my roommate. We are gonna have so much fun. Hunting and playing and making laws together" she says opening the book. He turns and reads a little. "What's this. Half of these are mine."

"Yes", Rashka replies "my boss went through all the rulebooks he could find to create the perfect one. He was very thorough." She points with her finger at a specific part. "Here it says that the Land of the Serbs and Romans..."

"Wait! What? Where?" Romanos jumps and starts reading.

"Here" Rashka points "Between chopping limbs for adultery and a tax for swearing."

"No" Romanos yells standing up.

"Relax. Not all of them are this harsh" she replies.

"I refuse to be a part of this! I want to rebuild the Great Roman Empire not to play pretend" he blurts.

"Hey, that's very disrespectful! My boss won fair and square and he is going to be the new emperor" she jumps.

Romanos grabs his head and sighs. "I just can't any more...I'm going to my room" he says and leaves. "You better. And think about what you did" Rashka says stern and folds her arms sulking.

Next scene: (1345) A lavish coronation held at the church in Skoplje (Скопље) the new capital" the narrator fills us in. The church has an otherworldly glow as the nicely dressed guests observe the king covered in golden robes. Rashka is standing with the capital who resembles modern Northern Macedonia behind her boss. The patriarch places a crown on Stefan Dušan and says: "All hail our glorious Emperor! May you live long and rule well. And all hail our Land of Serbs, our glorious home. May you feed and protect us centuries to come."

All the guests cheer which brings a tear to Rashka's face. End of flashback.

Looking at the water, Serbia spots a hooded figure picking something from the ground. Thrilled, Serbia runs down calling out: "Lepenski Vir! Lepenski Vir!"

The hooded person stands up and looks in all directions. Her clothes are rags that seem they might fall apart at any moment. She notices the teen running straight towards her, picks her basket and runs. She manages to hide before Serbia can reach her. Confused, she walks quietly searching.

Next scene: After some time, the ancient entity gets out of the small hole she hid in. Thinking that the teen is gone, she slowly gets out and takes her basket. All this time, her hood and all other parts of her body, except her hands, stay covered.

"It's such joy to see you again, ancient one. Do you remember me" Rashka says in a friendly way.

A little startled, Lepenski Vir nods and quickly passes her. Serbia observes her picking mushrooms for a while.

"All of the elders are either gone or too exhausted to do anything. I am happy that you are still alive and vibrant" she tries to start a conversation. The hooded granny, glances at her and returns to her work.

"I sometimes think about them, you know. Trying to recall who they were, what they liked. I'm ashamed to say that I don't remember them as much as a should. I should have paid more attention while I still had the chance" she says sad.

The entity in rags takes pity and turns to her. She nods as if encouraging Serbia to speak. She smiles warmly: "Thank you. May I ask why you hide from the world? Are your people still alive?"

Granny's head bows and her hands start to tremble. Serbia quickly apologizes: "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you sad. I just wanted to talk to you."

The hooded figure calms down and nods for her to continue. Serbia clears her throat: "That apple you gave me on my creation day...Why did you chose me? Did you know I was one day going to rule all of this?"

The figure shrugs. Serbia is not very pleased with this answer: "Alright, would it be possible for you to tell me what to expect next?"

She nods and takes a nearby stick. With her bony wrinkled hand, she draws on the sand a cross with four Ss on it. Serbia sees it and laughs.

"Silly granny! That already happened!" she says excitedly looking up. The ancient entity is nowhere to be seen. Serbia looks at the drawing again wandering what it means. Unfortunately, she will understand it soon enough.

Next scene: (1355) A peaceful day in the forest. Emperor Dušan is hunting with his knights. Serbia is there too. Suddenly, the emperor grabs his chest. Frightened, everyone stops and jumps to get him off his horse. They carefully place him on the ground. The strong, powerful man was gasping in pain, sweating with a terrified look on his face. Serbia, panicking, yells for everyone to move so he can breathe. He grabs her hand and looks at her frightened. She holds his hand trying to comfort him. The emperor closes his eyes. He dies then and there.


	76. Chapter 74

_March of 1808._

A lonely humble house with a large garden. Inside, Hercegovina and Bosnia sit at their small wooden table. Their current accommodations are nothing like their sturdy castles of the past. Their clothes have changes showing an obvious Turkish influence.

"Bosnia, you must be reasonable. The Ottoman rule is over. It has been over for a long time. Our best chance for survivor and prosperity is to reconnect with our old allies" Hercegovina states with conviction.

Bosnia, now looking like a man in his early twenties, scoffs: "A lot of good they've done us. When they became Turkish vassals, we were completely abandoned in our fight for freedom."

Hercegovina sighs. Her beauty remained intact by the harshness of life. "You are right about that but look at things from a broader perspective. Serbia has certainly redeemed herself. And Montenegro obviously held his own in the long fight. And besides..." she stops uncertain if she should finish the sentence.

"Go on. Say it...And besides they remained mostly Christian while I did not. Is that what you were going to say?" Bosnia says mad.

She sighs while Bosnia continues to pace with his arms crossed. "I am merely saying that we should consider unification with Serbia and Montenegro as the best option. I mean, compared to the alternative..." she mutters the last part with disgust.

Bosnia stops with a worried expression. "The Austro-Hungarian Empire has been very direct in its desire to take over. It's just a matter of time when they show up with their troops again."

"Exactly" Hercegovina interrupts "They are already acting as if we are their property. But Serbia knows how to deal with them. Look at how she is running circles around them despite the sanctions on pork. Together, we will create a strong union of brotherly people. A country that will last."

Bosnia ponders. "Your words make sense as usual" he says. He hears a call to prayer and kneels. She turns her head and frowns. Taking the basket of dirty clothes, she grabs the door handle. "I'm going down to the river. Please think about what I said" she tells him leaving. He does not reply, but continues his prayer.

As she walks into the garden, Hercegovina sees a rakija boiler next to the large copper pot and shakes her head disapprovingly.

Next scene: In the forest, we see a disoriented Austria walking with his fine cane in a white suit. His head is bowed which is unusual for him. He walks slowly, with one hand in his pocket as we see heads of random countries appearing and disappearing.

The first is France who laughs mockingly: "Why are you blaming me. You are the one who imposed the sanctions. What was I supposed to do? Let the poor boy suffer?"

Next are Germany and Prussia. "If I am to be honest, I am surprised you still have an empire" Germany says and Prussia adds: "You call that an empire. Ha! More like Frankenstein's monster."

Next one is Serbia who looks displeased: "I may be small but that doesn't give you the right to walk all over me!"

We then see an image of the nations of his empire whispering to each other about him. Then we see the European powers openly chuckling at him.

He stops, closes his eyes and clenches his teeth as if in pain. The images stop and he opens his eyes again. Austria sees that he is near the river where Hercegovina is washing her clothes. She is looking at him confused with her hands still in the water.

"Good day. It's nice to see you again. I hope that you are doing well" he says.

She stands up drying her hands. "Good day to you too. May I know what is the reason for your visit? Not another uprising I hope" she says with a slight frown on her face.

"Actually, I came here to talk to the two of you about something important. Is Bosnia nearby?" he asks civil.

"He's busy" she replies irritated. "Anything you want to talk to him you can tell me first."

Austria looks at her and continues in a calming manner. "My dear Hercegovina, why do you use such tone with me? Am I truly your enemy? Haven't I helped your people enough? Haven't I build roads, schools and hospitals for them? Haven't I provided them with work and a better existence."

She nods. "That you did. But you also built prisons and crushed any opposition to your rule" she continues in the same manner.

Austria frowns. He cannot hide his distorted state. "I see there is no other way of dealing with the likes of you but by force. Tell Bosnia I want to speak with him immediately" he gives an order threatening her with his cane.

"Ha!" Hercegovina laughs. This triggers him even more. "Do you really think you can order us around like servants in your palace? We are done obeying foreign occupiers. We want to live in peace far away from grubby empires like yours" she yells pointing at him.

Austria doesn't hear the rest of her speech which turns to metallic noise in his ears. The frame around him turns dark as his expression becomes serious. He stares, frowning. His eyes do not blink. A shot is heard. The background returns to normal.

We see Hercegovina's shocked expression. She looks down. There is a bleeding bullet hole in her abdomen. Austria seems shocked as well. She falls to the ground unconscious. He looks down and sees that he is holding his pistol. He started carrying it as a precaution. There were a few royal assassinations recently. One of them being his bosses' wife. The shot came from him.

Panicking, Austria puts his weapon back into his pocket and runs. Hercegovina is left alone and bleeding.

Next scene: Back at the AH palace. Austria hastily enters and Hungary greets him. Pale and worried he utters without looking at her: "This is extremely important. If anyone asks, I was in the library all day." Hungary nods confused and watches him pace to his room to change clothes.

Next scene: An hour or so later. Bosnia yells from the garden in a state of panic. He is carrying the injured Hercegovina in his arms. "Hello! Can anyone help me?! I need to speak to Austria or Hungary or anyone who is left in charge!"

All of the nations living there gather. SAH recognizes him immediately and runs towards him. "What are you doing here? What happened to her?" she asks shaken up.

"I ran...I ran all the way here" he gasps clearly tired. "Someone shot her, and it wasn't an ordinary weapon. I mended the wound but she is still not waking up. Why isn't she still waking up?" he utters. As SAH tries to calm him down, Austria's voice is heard from the window. "Did someone call for me?" he calmly asks.

Bosnia looks up. "Oh great Austria, I heard you have a magical book. Would you please heal her wounds" he asks desperate.

Austria looks at the unconscious woman and asks: "Has she been unconscious the whole time?"

"Yes. I found her like this" Bosnia replies.

"Very well. Take her to my library. I will need some assistance" Austria says and moves inside. Hungary, Romania, Croatia and SAH take Bosnia there. Austria lets everyone except SAH in. She looks at him confused "But why? Please, let me be there for my friends."

"I already have all the help I need. If you want to be useful, get one of the rooms ready so they will have a place to sleep" he says and shuts the door.

SAH lingers for a while listening in. "Will you be able to save her?" she hears Bosnia's voice.

"I am not sure. But I will try... Get me some clean shits and hot water" Austria is heard. As soon as she hears footsteps, SAH quickly hides.

Next scene: A few hours later. Bosnia walks out of the library shaking. Austria holds his shoulder. "There was nothing more I could do" he comforts him. Bosnia seems on the verge of tears. They slowly walk down the corridor. "You must be exhausted. Why don't you spend the night here?" Austria says. Bosnia complies. And he stayed that night, and the next and many nights after that. Many of the inhabitants are not happy about that.

SAH is especially infuriated. "Just you wait. Your tyranny won't last forever. Justice will catch up with you sooner or later" she grinds through her teeth in her room.

Next scene: Serbia is in even worse shape. We find her screaming and swearing after hearing the news of Bosnia and Hercegovina. No one knows what happened but nobody saw her after. Runt hides under the table terrified. When she finally calms down, Runt comes out. He gently touches her hand with his snout. She looks at him and pats his head.

"I'm fine. It's just...I finally see the truth. Austria was never my friend. There was never even a hint of good-will from his side. It was all a lie" she quietly utters. Runt comes closer and grunts something funny. She smiles as a tear falls down her cheek. Embraces the small pig, she listens to him grunt some jokes. She laughs. "You're right. No use crying over things we can't change. And besides, I need to concentrate and finish what I set out to do" she says. The frame zooms out of her now much larger and nicer home.

 _I gave myself some artistic freedom. I hope you don't mind. It is fanfiction after all._


	77. Chapter 75

_**Current topics**_

It's early morning in Serbia's office but she already has a guest.

"Would you like some coffee" she asks. "No" China replies seeming impatient.

"Well then don't mind if I have mine. Can't function this early without it" she says and takes a sip. "Now, tell me what's brought you here."

China sits up: "Please tell me what you know about Srđ...Srž..Sr, the founder of the Canvas organization."

She think putting her lip above the coffee mug. "Well, he was one of the organizers of the movement that got rid of Milošević. He studied here but he moved on. I heard he helped organize rallies in South America, Africa, the Middle East and so on and on."

"And he is also encouraging the protesters in Hong Kong" China continues.

"Hmm, I wouldn't be surprised" she says still a little groggy.

"Hong Kong doesn't realize it but these protests are eating him alive" China continues.

"I see. Such is youth. You start off with high ideals and the desire to achieve them no matter the cost. You set a goal of changing the little of world you came to know in your short life not realizing how small of a cog that little piece of world is compared to the machinery of power" Serbia says melancholically staring into the blank wall.

"That's right, and Hong Kong is falling into that very same trap. He doesn't realize that the government he has now is actually protecting him from the chaos that is about to come. I fear that if he doesn't understand this soon, I will have to intervene and no one, not even me, wants that. Is there any way you can help? He is your guy after all" China asks.

"Oh no. No, no, no. He is NOT my guy. You don't seem to get what kind of country I am. This is where ambition comes to die. Seriously, I have so many talented people that lived and died in complete anonymity. If he was my guy, the best he could do was be an assistant at his native faculty. No. He is Klinton's America, the liberal agenda and The New World order's guy" Serbia defends herself.

"Serbia, please, do something before it is too late" China says on edge.

Serbia sighs: "Alright, I'll think about it. But I don't know if it will help."

"Thank you" he say. "Now I have to go and check on Hong Kong. See you."

As soon as he leaves, she mumbles: "I don't agree with everything you do China, but you are right about this one." She starts to ponder and practices talking to someone: "Hey how are you? Listen, why lose your soul over this? You know what I'm talking about. Join me and use your powers for good. Do that and, when this is over, everyone will cheer you on as the hero. Trust me, I'm good at picking sides."

She sighs again, shakes her head and continues to think.

 ** _And in world news_**

The background is white. Chibi Philippines steps in smiling and seeming happy. She waits for the narrator to address her when the ground bursts in the back and white ash fills half of the screen.

"Oh no, my volcano erupted" she says worried putting her hands on her face. "What am I going to do?"

The fumes start making incredible shapes, some get so big and charge up so much that they create lightning. The Philippines gasps.

She sees a group of other nations and runs over them. They watch the spectacle mesmerised with their phones recording.

"You guys, you gotta help me. The volcano may erupt any minute now. Let's get the people out of here" she sways her arms worried. They do not respond at first.

"Wow, that ash could is shaped like an angel" one says.

"Yeah, and it looks like its wings are flashing because of the lightnings" another says.

"Uh" all of them say taking even more pictures and videos. She looks at her dumbfounded. "You guys, this is serious. My roads are cracking, everything is covered in ash. At least send me some aid."

Chibi Australia bursts into the frame lit on fire. Everyone turns to him gasping worried. "Oh my god, can someone please help this poor nation" someone yells. They turn all their attention and money to him.

Philippines watches and is startled by another loud sound from her volcano. "You guys" she turns to the group panicking.

"Oh God, I wish it rained" he says still on flames. A black cloud appears above his head and it does rain. Chibi Australia looks relieved but is soon screaming, seeing that the water is engulfing him. All the others try to help.

"What a sheer of bad luck. At least I'm not that guy" the Philippines says. The ash surrounds her and she starts coughing. As this is happening, the drowning Australia gets hit by a hail storm. The group completely devotes their attention to him as Philippines is completely covered in the ash cloud.


	78. Chapter 76

_1909 - a little after the annexation of Bosnia_

A garden on a beautiful sunny day. Two brothers, Austria and Prussia are sitting on garden chairs playing chess while Hungary watches. Young Germany is a little further away, playing with his toys.

"...And so the poor boy has been moping around the palace ever since" Austria concludes his story. Hungary nods. "Poor Bosnia. He must have been really attached to Hercegovina. It's a tragedy what happened. Who knew she was so weak to get killed by a random human" she adds sad.

"Is that so? Do you know what kind of fire weapon was used?" Prussia inquires making his move.

"What difference does it make? It's not like we will ever find out who did it" Austria says a little snappy.

Prussia turns to him with a suspicious smirk.

"From the bullet found nearby I would say it was a small pistol. I believe it was our..." Hungary replies but stops seeing Austria frown. He tries to play it off as if being deep in thought over his next move. Prussia's staring intensifies to the point that red wavy beams fly in his brother's direction.

Refusing to look his way, Austria replies coldly: "Why don't you take a picture? It will last longer." Prussia laughs but soon becomes serious after seeing that Austria takes his bishop.

"Interesting. I thought you were going to talk to them that day" Prussia says to which Austria holds his breath. The atmosphere becomes tense. Hungary looks at them both and decides it is best to change the subject. "Say, how come Germany is always so quiet? It seems that all he ever does is play with sticks and figurines."

The two brothers look at her confused. "Like now" Hungary continues as we see Germany mumbling some equations, determining projectory and wind resistance. "Don't you think he should be playing?" she says.

"He is playing" they reply in unison. Hungary sighs and excuses herself to go and talk to Germany.

Prussia observes her smiling warmly. "How in God's name did you end up with a woman like that?" he says. Austria scoffs moving a piece: "Believe me brother, she is sweet only on the outside. To tell the truth, in all these years, I have yet to meet a more calculating creature than her."

"Calculating? How?" Prussia asks.

Austria smiles and says: "To put it in a way you'd understand... If she was playing chess right now, she'd already be thinking of a strategy for the next game."

Prussia moves his head unconvinced and takes Austria's knight.

Next scene: Germany sits in the grass putting the finishing touches on the catapult he made from sticks and glue. Nearby, there are other smaller contraptions of the same material.

Hungary leans in and smiles: "Would you like to take a walk with me?"

Germany turns confused and replies: "Sorry but I want to finish this first." He then continues tinkering with his creation.

"We can go and visit Veneciano. He is about your age. I'm sure you will get along beautifully" Hungary continues.

Germany blushes and buries his head in his work even more.

"No? Fine. Perhaps you would like to go to the pond and feed the ducks" she tries again.

Germany stands up seeming serious. He looks at her for a while and gives her a sudden hugs. Hungary is very confused by this. After about half a minute, he quickly let's go and returns to his previous position.

"Thank you but I would prefer if we had the walk at the previously scheduled time" the boy says.

Hungary, not knowing what to think, quietly returns to the two chess players.

 _Pleeeeeeeeeeease be patient and wait until the story is over to draw concussions. It's already two near the half mark... I hope._


	79. Chapter 77

**_During the Ottoman rule – unspecified time_**

Serbia works in the field. There is a lot more to go. She wipes the sweat off her brow and continues weeding.

Next scene: It's night-time. The three representatives, Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia sit around the fire tired after an especially hard day. They are wearing peasant clothes. Their backs hurt, their legs are cramming and their hands are full of blisters.

"I never want to see a planted vegetable in my life" Bulgaria moans massaging his neck. The others are silent. Serbia adds another piece of wood into the fire. "Then perhaps it is better to bring a blindfold tomorrow" she adds, to tired to smile.

Greece blows air through his nose. "That damn Ottoman. Making us work so hard to pay him taxes. I am really starting to hate this place because of him."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Do not misunderstand, I love my beautiful place, but I sometimes wonder what it would be like if I lived on a less desirable location" Bulgaria says.

"Like where?" Serbia asks.

"I don't know" Bulgaria puffs. "Somewhere secluded. Where not many people want to go...Somewhere like the far north perhaps."

Greece amuses himself with this idea. "I knew people from such a place. They said it was so cold that they had to learn to build ships to travel to warmer shores, but it didn't always work because the sea would periodically freeze over."

They all chuckle.

"If you ask me, I wouldn't move for anything" Serbia says and adds melancholically "I simply dream of the day when I can decide my faith again."

The two boys sigh. "Me too" they say.

Serbia raises her head, looks around and says quietly. "Promise me this. When that day comes, we will stand united. We will help each other be free."

The two nod. We see Serbia extend her hand illuminated by the fire. The two quickly put their hand on hers. A fourth hand appears. They turn to see who it is. It's Montenegro, the only free kingdom among them.

"What? Can a guy go for a piss without you preparing a revolt?" he says.

Next scene: (1912) Many many years later. The four nations stride onto that very same field. They are dressed for battle and have their weapons ready. Meeting at the center, they look at each other knowingly. "It's time" someone says. They nod and put their hands together.

 _ **Modern times (Part 1)**_

It's night-time. Switzerland's phone rings. It's his emergency phone. He grumbles and answers it. "Hello" he says still half-asleep.

"Hey dude! What's up? Why do you sound like you're in a barrel?" America is heard. We see him at a party obviously enjoying himself.

"That's because I was sleeping. What is the emergency?" he asks.

"Really? It's 9:00 pm. You are a serious early bird" America's voice is heard from the phone.

Switzerland ignores this comment and clears his throat. "Actually it's 3:00 am here. Now, let's return to the relevant question. Why are you calling?"

"Oh, that. Nothing serious. Hey listen, I'm here out with some friends and we were just thinking about you. How come you never go to war?" is heard from the phone.

Switzerland stares into the wall inhaling deeply. "America, this is an my emergency phone that should be used only if a patient is experiencing deep psychological issues."

"I know, but still. I mean not a single war in two centuries?! What's the deal with that?" is heard.

"Well" he starts. "It has a lot to do with the historical..."

Loud laughter is heard. "Hey! Be quiet. I'm asking something important" America is heard yelling. Switzerland sighs extremely ticked off.

Next scene: In the morning, Switzerland enters his office with huge bags under his eyes. It is clear that he hasn't slept well. He asks his secretary for his schedule. It is completely full and even has the after-hours slot filled for 'special' clients. He is not happy about this.

Next scene: During lunch break. He is in a restaurant with his little sister Liechtenstein.

"Is something the matter? You haven't touched your food big brother" she says.

"I was just thinking about the call I received last night. What that frat boy doesn't understand is that there are other ways of fighting battles" he says serious.

The emergency phone rings. "Don't answer it. You're on a break" Liechtenstein says.

"I have to, it's an emergency phone" he says. As he answers BiH starts screaming form the other end. "Hey! You still haven't solved that Swiss frank fiasco. I've got people drowning in debt here!"

Switzerland grabs the rim of his nose. "I have done everything I can. The rest is between you and the banks" he replies to which BiH starts yelling even louder.

Next scene: Late in the afternoon. Switzerland's office. He is hiding under his desks as loud Godzilla like noises are heard. It feels like there is a huge monster battle going on and even some shattering is heard. The clients are personifications of two companies _(don't worry, this is probably the only mention they will ever get)_. He had a misfortune of having to mediate a merger that ended up becoming a hostile takeover.

The emergency phone rings again. He answers it slowly, visibly on his last nerves. "Hey, it's Serbia. Sorry to bother you but I really really need your advice on something" we hear her voice.

We see her walking seeming distressed. She clutches to the cylinder bag she has on her back with a sweaty palm. "I'm...I'm not sure what to do. You see, I'm trying to get with the global trends but they are so...and my conscience doesn't let me sleep because I keep re-questioning should I be doing this and..."

"Serbia, hurry it up. I'm in the middle of something" he says sharply.

"Yes...okay. Um, I don't know if I should be telling you this over the phone. Are you in the office?" her voice is heard coming from the speaker as the mayhem continues. Something hits the wall, knocking the co-co clock down. His pupils turn into small dots.

"What's that noise? Are you watching a movie?" is heard from the speakers.

"No, I'm not!" he yells from the top of his lungs. I have been listening to you sh*tters all day. I haven't slept, I haven't ate and haven't had a break" he screams into the phone. She ends the call quickly without saying anything. In fact, the whole room is silent.

Switzerland yells furious. He gets out from his desk and that is where the frame ends.

Next scene: An hour later. Serbia is at an unknown bar chatting and drinking with someone. Her phone rings. She looks at it, makes a face but still answers it.

"Good evening. I am calling to apologize for my previous behavior. I shouldn't have acted that way" Switzerland is heard.

"It's fine. From what I heard, you were having a bad day" she says in a slightly sharp way. We can hear him clearing his throat: "There is no need for you to worry about my problems. Now, if you want, you can come and talk to me in half an hour. The cleaning crew will finish by then."

"Actually, I'm much better now. I talked to someone who helped me a lot" she says and cheers with Israel who is sitting at the bar next to her.

We see him holding the phone stepping on some rubble. "Oh and I might not be coming to therapy as regularly. In fact, I'm taking a break."

"Alright. May I know why?" he asks a little flustered.

"Well, remember how I told you that it isn't working for me. I guess I'm not a girl who can open up in such structured conditions. It was all too stuffy, dare I say even suffocating" we hear her say to which Switzerland carefully listens. "I'm going to try something else. An alternative form of therapy if you will. Are you mad?"

"No, not at all. You should listen to what your psyche is telling you" he replies calmly.

"Great. Thanks. See you around Europe. Bye" she says and ends the call. We see her continuing the conversation she had with Israel earlier. They seem to be having a good time. Switzerland, on the other hand, says goodbye and puts the phone down. We see that his office was completely demolished.


	80. Chapter 78

_Modern times (Part 2)_

Serbia walks hesitant east. She has a worried expression on her face and keeps clenching the strap of a cylinder bag. Clanging of guns can be heard from it. She sighs and takes out her phone slowing her pace even more. She looks at it for a full minute before calling.

Her therapist answers. She hears animal screams and shattering of glass. "What is your emergency?" Switzerland answers sounding on the edge. She immediately regrets calling but continues anyway. "Hey, it's Serbia. Sorry to bother you but I really really need your advice on something" she says.

"I'm...I'm not sure what to do. You see, I'm trying to get with the global trends but they are so...and my conscience doesn't let me sleep because I keep re-questioning should I be doing this and…" she stutters still walking.

"Serbia, hurry it up. I'm in the middle of something" he says sharply over the noise.

"Yes...okay. Um, I don't know if I should be telling you this over the phone. Are you in the office?"

The noise intensifies, as if something big fell very close.

"What's that noise? Are you watching a movie?" she asks confused.

"No, I'm not!" he yells from the top of his lungs. Serbia removes the phone from her ear.

"I have been listening to you sh*tters all day. I haven't slept, I haven't ate and haven't had a break!" his scream resounds from the speakers. Serbia looks at the phone, frowning and feeling even worse. She taps on the end call button and puts it away.

Next scene: She sits at an Oriental looking bar taking another shot. A group of Middle Eastern nations are there, but they are sitting at a far away large table drinking their tea and chatting loudly. She sits, slightly tipsy, scrolling her news feed. "Hmm...the CFO of Huawei was under house arrest all this time. Who knew" she mutters to herself seeming depressed.

Israel walks in. Despite the group being far away, they immediately stop talking and stare at her. She glances at their table, notices Palestine and frowns. Sitting down at the bar, she orders some hard liquor.

"Hey, since when do you come to this area?" Israel says noticing Serbia at the stool close to hers. Serbia stops scrolling her phone slightly confused and turns to her.

"Oh, I was just..." she says and stops reluctant to talk. Her worried expression returns. Israel looks at her a little better. "Are you alright? You don't look so good?" she says concerned and a little suspicious.

"I'm fine…I guess. I kind of... I have a dilemma and alcohol isn't helping" Serbia says looking down at the bar. Israel looks around not sure what to do. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asks cautiously.

Serbia turns to her and as if a light-bulb has turned on. "Actually, yes. I need some advice and you may be able to help me" she says moving a stool closer.

"Okay" Israel feels reluctant.

"See...I just started my arms industry and my weapons are selling really well" she starts.

"Oh yes. I heard about that. You must be making a fortune" Israel adds.

"Yes, well not as much as the others, but it's going better than anything else I put on the market. It flies of the shelves, which is very new for me. I'm not a very good salesperson."

Israel chuckles "So, what's the problem?"

Serbia sighs still a little tipsy. "Well, how can I explain it?... They're weapons, lethal weapons. Not tranquilliser guns or tasers" she says and pauses depressed. "It's not like they're being used to save orphans from burning buildings or kittens from trees, you know."

Israel nods.

"And it doesn't matter who I sell them to. And I want to be clear, I take great care with that. I mean, I'm new and an outsider. I need to have receipts on my receipts to prove how legal everything is. But still...despite all that, they end up in a war zone" she says and takes another shot.

Israel looks down.

"What can I say. That's business for you. It doesn't matter what your product is, as long as it sells well."

They stay quiet for some time looking down and drinking silently. The group of countries heads towards the exit.

"Farewell Serbia" the UAE waves and so do the others. "Goodbye, it's too bad that you couldn't join us" Saudi Arabia says.

"Sorry, but I really wanted to get drunk and I know it would make you uncomfortable" Serbia says tapping her bottle of hard liquor.

"Don't worry about it. But please be sure to protect yourself from other evil influences" Palestine says glaring at Israel who frowns at him and mutters quietly as they leave. No one says goodbye to her.

"How come they like you so much?" she asks Serbia who shrugs. "I don't know. Perhaps it's because I do business with them. They're not that bad. I had good relations with them back in the old Yugoslavia days."

"Huh, too bad they want me gone. People don't understand it, but a nation needs a home. A place where the heart is. Especially me. I know what roaming the earth aimlessly feels like. It's a lonely and haunting feeling. It makes you bitter, vengeful, angry and sad. It can turn you into a shadow of your own being if you are not careful. A deformed parasitic version of what you are supposed to be" Israel says melancholic.

Serbia looks at her filled with empathy. "I understand that more than you know" she replies sad.

Israel looks at the door longingly. Serbia, nosy as always, sees this and says: "Can I ask you something? What's the deal with you and Palestine?"

She looks at her as if Serbia crawled from under a rock recently. "Just put on any news network and you'll find out" she says coldly.

"Yeah, okay. I know that. But, why?"

"I have been asking myself the same question. It's not like I didn't offer him a great deal, time and time again. I wanted to take care of him but he shrugged all that away because of his friends. Some friends. They mostly ignore him and only turn to him when they want to hurt me" she says bitter and takes another shot.

Serbia chuckles. She is pretty drunk by this point. "So do you like him?" she blurs to which Israel spits her drink. "I mean, he's a nice guy. You two would be such a cute couple."

Israel sighs unconvinced.

Next scene: Half an hour later. Serbia tells Israel about her therapy sessions. "And so, I don't really like them. It simply doesn't feel natural to me. But still, I have to go in order to pass my annual Mental Health check..."

"Whose your therapist?"

"Switzerland, of course. I mean sure, he's supposed to be 'neutral' but he doesn't always do what's right. When everyone was against me, so was he. He followed the main narrative and even harassed people who spoke otherwise. Come to think of it, I never checked to see if he stopped" she says pondering.

"But why him? He's the most expensive one" her drinking buddy interrupts.

Serbia looks at her confused. "There are others?" she asks.

"Of course. They are not as famous but if you only go in order to pass the check-up, any nation therapist will do."

Serbia smiles ecstatic. "Can you recommend me some?" she asks.

"Well, how about me" she replies.

"You?"

"Yes. My people dabbled in psychology here and there" Israel says proud.

"This is great? How much is the session? Does it have to be in your office? Can we do it here or at other fun places?" Serbia asks excited.

"Um, okay. As long as you pay the bill, we can talk wherever you want" Israel says a little frightened by her enthusiasm. She then writes something on a note and slips it to her. Serbia takes one look at it and smiles from ear to ear.

Her phone rings. She looks at it, makes a face but still answers it.

"Good evening. I am calling to apologize for my previous behavior. I shouldn't have acted that way" Switzerland is heard.

"It's fine. From what I heard, you were having a bad day" she says in a slightly sharp way. We can hear him clearing his throat: "There is no need for you to worry about my problems. Now, if you want, you can come and talk to me in half an hour. The cleaning crew will finish by then."

"Actually, I'm much better now. I talked to someone who helped me a lot" she says and cheers with Israel. Israel smirks thinking: "That will teach you to hoard my gold."

"Oh and I might not be coming to therapy as regularly. In fact, I'm taking a break" Serbia adds.

"Alright. May I know why?" we hear him through the phone.

"Well, remember how I told you that it isn't working for me. I guess I'm not a girl who can open up in such structured conditions. It was all too stuffy, dare I say even suffocating. I'm going to try something else. An alternative form of therapy if you will. Are you mad?"

"No, not at all. You should listen to what your psyche is telling you" he replies calmly.

"Great. Thanks. See you around Europe. Bye" she says and ends the call. "Okay, so the next round is on me" Serbia says calling the bartender who is a human.

Israel smiles. "Just one more and I have to go. It's a work day tomorrow" she says to which Serbia waves it off. They continue talking like that until closing time.


	81. Chapter 79

**_End of the 14th century_**

The Serbian court. We see many men in noble attires yelling at each other. The young emperor Stefan Uroš V (Стефан Урош V), son of the late Stefan Dušan, is standing with his mother and closest advisors quietly observing the whole thing _(He was remembered as Uroš the Weak (Урош Нејаки) which obviously says much about him)_.

"People calm down. This is no time for such foolishness. We have to stay united. Remember, only unity saves Serbs" Serbia yells trying to talk some sense into them. They all stop talking and look at her angry.

"United, under him? He is not the fifth of his father!" one yells. Serbia grabs her sword handle as a warning.

"Show some respect towards your emperor. He is the legitimate ruler. No one can claim his title" his most important advisor Vukašin Mrnjavčević (Вукашин Мрњавчевић) speaks.

"No one except you! Don't think you are fooling anyone, it is obvious who makes decisions around here" another noble says enraged and probably jealous.

"Listen, to me!" Serbia screams. "There is a great new evil advancing from Asia" we see a black masked figure with a turban and a saber whose eyes glow green in a menacing cloud behind her. "From what I hear, he is very strong and is threatening to take over our region. We cannot afford petty egos leading us into a civil war. Especially now when the outside danger is so great."

The noble men grumble and mutter. One by one, they leave, asking the Bulgarian and Greek provinces to come with them. They come out of Serbia, in a ghostly form, materialise and walk away. The process doesn't hurt but leaves Serbia feeling weak and nauseous.

"Aren't you going to say something?" she turns to the emperor distressed. He does not reply.

One aristocrat asks the vassal Duklja or Zeta * **{depending on the sources}** and he nods coming along right away.

She sees Zeta/Duklja leaving. "That is so typical. You stay while everything is good and, when that changes, leave with anyone willing to rule you" she calls Zeta/Duklja out. The short kingdom turns and looks at her angry.

"I'm going to forgive that lie only because I know you said it because you are upset" he says offended.

"Of course, I'm upset. You must be the worst big brother in the world!" she continues.

"Alright, sister dear! What would you recommend I do?" he yells putting his hands on his hips.

"I don't know brother dear" she adds sarcastically "The right thing for once!"

Zeta/Duklja looks at her emotionless. He turns and leaves without looking back.

Serbia mutters under her breath.

"It will be alright" the young emperor says.

"Oh, now you say something" she says frustrated.

"Do not worry my fatherland. Everything will be alright. You will see. God will show us the way" he says full of hope. The others are not as convinced. The room becomes silent as everyone worries quietly.

 _ **October 1912**_

Austria and Hungary are reading the newspapers after having breakfast. The empty dishes have been removed to make room for coffee. Austria frowns reading an article.

"Serbia has gained a large victory at Kumanovo, surprising the Ottoman army and taking most of their fire weapons. The Serbian army continues to Skopje" he says displeased.

"Yes, I heard the help talking about it earlier. Everyone is very excited" Hungary says still looking down at her newspaper. Austria shakes his head with his lips pressed. He violently pushes the paper away. "That little hothead is turning out to be more dangerous than I thought" he mutters.

Hungary looks at him annoyed. "And why are you worried. Serbia only did what he said he was out to do."

"Do not be so naive my dear, I know you are smarter than that. It is only a matter of time before he turns his bruts our way" he says putting his hand on his temples.

Hungary smirks. "Oh my dear paranoid husband. Serbia may be a lot of things. Stubborn, old-fashioned, quick to anger and a cross-dresser but he is certainly not stupid. Trust me when I say that Serbia will never attack you."

Austria ponders ignoring her remark. He smiles in a menacing way: "If only Ottoman was smart enough for such an act. In the old days, during castle sieges, the opposing armies used to hurdle dead bodies of those who died of infectious diseases. It was in some instances even more effective than trebuchets." He continues to smile deep in his thoughts.

Hungary is upset by his remark. "Surely, you don't think to suggest such a thing to him. That would be meddling" she looks at him slightly shaken.

He looks at her and gently takes her hand. "Do not worry my dear. I have a far better idea" he says and turns to the only servant in the room. He is not aware that one more is listening in.

SAH has been standing near the door with a tray in her hand. With an expression of terror on her face she hears Austria's voice again: "Slovenia, I will be in the library today. Make sure I am not disturbed."

Hearing footsteps coming towards the door, she quickly disappears.


	82. Chapter 80

**_World Academy W – some time ago_**

We see a happy group of young teens with very 80's hairstyles. They call themselves the South Slav group. They mey not be the most popular kids in school or have the best scores, but they sure have a rich social life.

Dafina, Enis, Šćepan, Yasna, Janez and Časlov are goofing around in the hallway. Not far away, a small dark figure spies on them hidden behind a locker. He grabs an opportunity when no one is watching and throws a football at Yasna. She yells as the ball hits her hard in the back of the head. The others laugh.

"Alright, who threw that'" she asks smiling but still rubbing the sore spot. The others shrug. "Časlov, was it you? I'm not mad, I just want to know" she says calm.

"Seriously Yasna. Why would it be me? You always accuse me of the darnedest things" he says pouting.

"No I don't. It's you who sulks every time I say something you don't like. Grow a backbone will you!" she says slightly insulted. Časlov becomes even more enraged. "Oh yeah! Well, if you weren't such a bossy boss all the time, maybe I wouldn't get so upset. And besides, why do you have to be the leader of the group? What makes you qualified?" he yells making the others feel uncomfortable.

She stares at him dumbfounded: "What makes me qualified? You sure have a short memory, don't you Časlov!"

"That's it, I'm out of here" Janez suddenly says and walks away. Yasna looks at him confused. "Me too" Časlov continues. Yasna pulls his sleeve just about he is about to turn: "You can't do that. Not after all the hard work we did to get so far."

"Let go, Yasna" he says through his teeth. "No" she is able to utter before he violently pulls his hand away and pushes her so hard she hits a locker behind her. She glares at him as blood comes out of her nose and pushes him right back. Dafina and Šćepan move a few steps back and Janez is long gone.

They push and swing at each other for a while when Enis tries to separate them. "Hey, you stop! Let's talk it out" he says before he is hit in the face by accident. He grabs his swollen cheek and punches back.

At this point, the entire school has gathered and watches the fight. The professors peep out of their classrooms but don't try to stop it. The three smack each other, tearing their uniforms and making their opponents bleed.

"That's enough!" a familiar male voice screams. They all stop. The students move aside to make space for Albert who slowly walks closer. He seems very serious. His hands are in his pocket and his posture is threatening.

"What in the world happened here?" he asks the three. Časlov and Enis jump towards him, crying: "It's not our fault. She did it! Please save us from this crazy monster." Yasna smirks. "Oh please, everyone saw what happened. You started it. Don't pretend you are the innocent party."

The two start crying showing their ripped uniform and bruised faces. Alfred listens to them and looks at Yasna disgusted. "How dare you pick on them like that. Next time, try it with someone your own size."

Yasna opens her mouth bewildered. "Um, hello" she shows her bloody wounds. She turns to Enis who is crying: "Hey, why are you only blaming me? Časlov punched you too."

"You monster!" he yells holding Alfred's forearm. "You are evil and cruel. I don't want to talk to you ever again" he says and runs away crying.

Yasna observes the other students. "You all saw what happened, right? I was savagely attacked, I had to protect myself." The others looks at Alfred who is still frowning. He shakes his head: "Bullies like you never learn. Don't worry, I have a great punishment in mind."

She tries to say something before Alfred interrupts her. "Hopefully that will teach you to play nice and if I hear from anyone else, that you have been harassing them, trust me, I can do much much worse" he says patting Časlov. The small black figure jumps from joy. Yasna watches everyone still in the state of shock. "But you all saw it" she utters as everyone leaves ignoring her fragile state.

 _ **Unspecified ramble**_

The narrator speaks as we watch a steaming pile of bubbling goo in a park: "Wise people have often thought about what God is. Some in order to explore and gaze into his vastness, others to deny his very existence. The arrogant few even thought they could trick and surpass him and his laws. But rest assured, whatever you believe, whatever you do, God is not stupid. A prankster, maybe? Someone whose punchlines can take ages to reveal themselves. Perhaps… But stupid, never."

A head pops out from the goo gasping. The figure slowly trudges his way onto the surface, covered in the icky substance from head to toe. He smiles, revealing white teeth as the grayish and blackish goo falls slowly in chunks. "Only true redemption can free a sin-heavy soul from damnation. However, once freed, such a soul can be repelling to others" the narrator continues.

The figure raises happy and looks around. There is another person there. A female, clean and nicely dresses, on the park path, looking at him in utter shock. He tries to smile in a friendly way, but it looks more like a grin. His face is slowly being revealed as the goo slides, but it is one most would gladly punch. His entire presence makes the onlooker get goosebumps of terror. The young lady still watches him with a frozen expression. He extends his hand into a handshake, but the female flinches because it feels more like an attack.

"There is no soul more vulnerable than this. It needs compassion or at least to have its actions treated fairly. So whatever you do, do not shove it away" the narrator finishes. The girl folds a handkerchief around her hand and very cautiously extends it to him in a very lose handshake.

 _Sooooo sorry for scaring you with this ramble. I just had this really cool image of the goo monster extending his hand and didn't know what to do with it. Normal content will be coming up in a few days._


	83. Chapter 81

_October 1912- a few days later_

It is nighttime. Serbia enters her office in her male military uniform. Her hair is even shorter, because she wanted to set an example for the soldiers who refused to cut their long beards and hair. She is not too happy with this decision but it had to be done. Shaving it off while in the army was more hygienic and helped eradicate pest such as lice. One of a few useful lessons she learned from Austria.

She puts down her gun, content. The battle the Serbian army had won a few days ago was an excellent sign. It cost a lot of lives but Serbia kept telling herself that all that sacrifice will be worth it once the war is over. She sits down in her comfy leather chair and searches a drawer for something when startled by a noise. Wide-eyed and alert, she grabs her gun and shouts: "Whose there?!"

Someone in the dark moves. Serbia puts her finger on the trigger and aims at that spot. "Oh thank God, it's you" a familiar voice spoke which made her immediately lower her gun.

"You scared me. What are you doing here?" Serbia says turning on the switch.

"Waiting for you of course. It took you ages to return" SAH says temporarily being blinded by the sudden light. "I needed to see you right away."

"Well, I am busy with a war and all. Came back just to get some supplies and take a quick nap. Do Austria and Hungary know you're here?" Serbia continues.

"No. I snuck out" her copy replies to which she frowns. "Listen, I think it's time we had a serious talk" SAH says determined.

Next scene: The two of them sit serious. "So that's where things are headed?" Serbia says worried, looking at her clenched hands.

"Yes" SAH replies equally concerned. We see her face as the frame switches into a flashback of her lock-picking her way into the AH library.

"He along with Hungary and his two brothers worked the entire day on the plans" we hear her narrate while watching her search the library. She finally finds a map in a secret compartment of a locked cabinet.

"So there is no doubt about what you saw?" we hear her interlocutor.

"That's right" SAH replies as we see her reveal the map of the region with offensive tactical formations drawn out all around the borders of the Kingdom of Serbia.

The flashback ends. We see SAH stand up. "We need to make a plan and show that stuck-up pansy he can't treat us this way. We need to take him by surprise."

"Wait, no! Calm down" Serbia tries to make her sit. "He may have made those plans just in case" she says not even convincing herself.

"No! I can't stand this any longer. Scrubbing, cleaning and the endless chores while he sits around thinking off more creative ways to humiliate us. He doesn't even try and hide it any more!" she cries out.

"Oh come on. It isn't that bad" Serbia says calmly patting her arm to sit. She jerks it away "Yes, it is! I have to follow stupid rules none of which I chose, my people are looked down on with no right to be promoted past a certain point and there were a few very suspicious hangings of so-called 'traitors', that is, anyone who thinks differently."

"Alright, but are people's heads being put on stakes?" Serbia cautiously replies.

"Not everything has to be measured with heads being put on stakes!" her copy yells. "There are different kinds of tortures. Ones that can leave you mentally and emotionally scared. Ones that make you believe that you deserve all the injustices happening to you."

Serbia takes a deep breath. "I understand. You have a complete right to be angry. I would probably lose my mind if I had to stay in that place each and every day. But please don't be hot-headed. Trust me, I just finished counting my dead. You will gain nothing with a war."

SAH moves away inhaling through her nose. "Fine, be a coward. I will respect your wishes. But be assured, many of our people all over the region feel the same as I do. Some meet secretly and discuss plans, even form secret societies. You can't control all of them" she says and walks out furious.

All alone, Serbia sighs and bows her head.

Next scene: Back at the palace that very same night. SAH quietly gets through the window. She tiptoes through the hallway.

"Where were you?" a female voice is heard from the dark. SAH stops startled.

Emerging towards the window, Hungary steps out in her silk nightgown illuminated by the moonlight.

SAH staggers slightly slurring her words: "Oh, I was just out celebrating Serbia's victory. Why? Am I that late?"

Hungary smirks: " So what did Serbia say? Should we expect her soldiers marching on us any time soon?"

SAH looks at her completely confused.

"My dear husband really should learn to be more careful when talking about his plans. It's hard to keep a secret in this place" she calmly continues. SAH is still quiet.

"So what happened? Serbia said no? Typical. He did that to me too" Hungary continues.

"I...I don't...I would never" SAH starts.

"Oh relax. I'm not going to say anything. It's obvious that nothing will come of this" her interlocutor continues.

"I...I see. Thank you your kingdom. It will never happen again" SAH does a curtsy.

"Of course not" Hungary adds sarcastically "Now go before someone sees you."

SAH turns and stops. "Don't be angry at Serbia. He just wants stability. And besides, you came out of it better than expected. Who knows what would have happened if your rebellion continued."

Hungary smiles but her eyes water. "Better than expectorated... Yes, I do make it seem that way. Nothing to it really. Just smile, look pretty, talk pretty and everyone will think that your life is a fairy tale." SAH looks at her as she struggles to keep her composure.

"What are you looking at? Didn't I tell you to go!" Hungary says angry to which the girl bows and quickly goes to her room.

Hungary sighs and returns to her bedroom.


	84. Chapter 82

_World Academy W – some time ago_

The hallways are filled with students with typical 90's hairstyles. They are all booing a girl arched above her books trying to get to class. Her face is hidden as she rushes to escape the scolding eyes of her classmates. She passes Časlov who is talking to Alfred.

"See that? She almost knocked me down" he cries pointing. Alfred watches her leap through the class door and shakes his head. "I saw it buddy. Don't worry. I won't let her hurt you" he reassures him.

"Thank you, I wouldn't know what to do without you. Yasna was always incredibly devious. I don't know why I ever accepted to be a member of her group. She never even apologized for the brutal torture she put me through" Časlov continues talking with anger and resentment clearly showing in his voice.

"Don't sweat it bro. If anything happens, I'll be there in a blink of an eye" Alfred says.

He then moves in order to get to class with Časlov following him like a shadow. "Did you know that she only allowed us to have two types of yogurt?" he continues. "Yeah, sounds though" Alfred replies. They pass Enis crying his eyes out as Govert and Berwald listen sympathetically.

"And then she grabbed me and hit me again and again and again. All while laughing hysterically" he sodded. "There, there" Govert says patting his back "It's all over now." Berwald nods to this.

Next scene: In the school bathroom. Yasna is sitting in one of the stalls taking deep breaths. Her face looks traumatized.

"I can't believe it" she thinks still inhaling and exhaling deeply. "First the endless fighting and now this. We agreed on a truce. Why are they still acting this way?"

She grabs her knees, contemplating whether to spend the entire recess there, when her stomach starts to grawl. "Well, no point in starving myself. I lost too much weight already."

Next scene: At the cafeteria the students have sat down to eat, for the most part. The students at the African table seemed to be going nuts. Siku grabs his plastic knife and starts yelling and cutting himself. Ivan is having troubles of his own with his southern neighbours. Still, some tables seem to be enjoying their lunch break not paying attention to anything else.

Yasna slowly approaches her table with a tray of food. "You can't eat here!" Enis screams as soon as he sees her dropping his spork in the process. "Make her go away" he cries to the others at the table, half of which were previously part of their BFF group.

"I have to eat" she replies trying to sound as composed as possible, a difficult task when taking everything into account.

Enis ignores this and hides behind Časlov saying: "Tell me when she's gone."

Časlov looks at her gloating: "Better eat fast" he adds with a smile.

Yasna sighs. She hears a girl calling out her name. "Hey, you can sit here" Aleksia says waving and showing a spot next to her. Yasna is suspicious, they are not on good terms and never had been.

"Don't worry, it's safe. And besides, there's something I want to talk to you about" Aleksia taps the seat. Yasna accepts curious and comes closer. She checks the seat again before sitting. As she leaves her tray on the table, she feels something beneath the table with her foot.

"What the..." she yells out but no one pays attention to it. Leaning down, a small black figure jumps towards her face with open arms. Instinctively, she jolts back and pushes the thing away. The small figure falls grabbing her tray in the process. Food flies off as the tray hits the floor with a 'thump' sound. Everyone in the cafeteria turns in her direction.

Confused, Yasna looks down and sees a small black-haired boy wallowing in pain. He doesn't have a uniform, but is wearing normal clothes that resemble one. "Ouch, it hurts so much!" he screams loudly.

"What did you do that for?" Aleksia stands up looking at Yasna angry.

"I was shook. He came out of nowhere" Yasna stutters. The small boy continues rolling and yelling even louder.

"It hurts, it hurts" he screams.

"What is going on here?" Alfred comes over seeming angrier than ever. Yasna simply points at the boy on the floor not sure what to say. "He...it was an accident" she manages to utter.

"Don't listen to her! She hit me on purpose. She bullies me all the time" the boy yelled grabbing Alfred's leg. He gently pats him on the head and turns to Yasna furious.

"Come with me" he says grabbing her forearm.

"Hey, wait. Where are you taking me? You can't do that?!" she cries turning to see if anyone will help her. No one does.

"I think the rest of the day, stuffed in your locker will do you a world of good" he says unsympathetic to her please. Yasna keeps struggling to free herself.

They leave the cafeteria like that and everyone resumes their lunch.

Next scene: Yasna bangs from the inside of her locker screaming: "Let me out! This isn't fair! It isn't normal. At least give me a chance to defend myself."

As she bangs and screams, the small dark-haired boy stands outside giggling in a very sinister way.


	85. Chapter 83

**_After the cruise_**

Serbia, Germany and Prussia are visiting DR Congo. He is showing them the view of his capital Kinshasa from the nearby hill. At one moment, Serbia asks Congo to come closer. Prussia observes this snickering. Germany observes the view unimpressed.

"I have to ask you something. Has the guy with white hair questioned you about me?" she asks quietly hiding her mouth with her hand. Congo looks at her confused: "No. Haven't they come to invest in my place?"

Serbia clears her throat and looks left and right: "Not exactly, but that doesn't mean they won't. Listen carefully, Prussia is going to ask you to come with him to show him the works or whatever. You will gladly accept. However, if he asks you anything else that is not related to business, anything personal or about your relationship with me or my former roommates, you stay completely silent. Understand?"

He nods. "I don't understand. Why should it be a secret?"

"What are you two talking about? Are you planning a rendezvous?" Prussia snickers. "How Heavens sake, stop being so nosy and calm down" Germany is heard.

Serbia frowns: "He...has an issue with me. I sort of...punched him. Once."

"Really?" Congo asks.

"Yeah. It was very humiliating for him so he craves for an opportunity to have his revenge. If he even gets a hint of something from your words, he will make me the laughing stock of Europe."

Congo takes another glance at the brothers. Prussia seems to be telling Germany something as they observe the infrastructure. He is sad because he was looking forward to some new investors.

"Don't worry. If all goes according to plan, you may get a huge deal out of it. Trust me, I know how Germany functions" she adds quietly. Congo sighs and nods. They return to the brothers.

"So as you can see..." Congo starts before Prussia interrupts. "Say, is there a place where a man can take a p*ss? I had way to many beers."

"Of course. This way" Congo says and takes him towards some bushes.

Germany and Serbia stay alone. They stay quiet for a while before Serbia breaks the silence: "I helped him build this electric polls. Glad to see they still stand."

"Is that so" Germany says observing them closer.

"Yep" she says proud. "Got to love that YUS standard" she chuckles as Germany nods. After another quiet minute she continues: "Helped other sub-Saharan countries too. My former boss used to spend a lot of time in this region. Especially in Zanzibar and..."

"WHY WON'T YOU SAY ANYTHING!? I DEMAND YOU SHOW IT TO ME! You could at least let me touch your balls" Prussia's scream is heard from the bushes.

"Ah! You are crazy! Leave me alone you perverted European man" Congo's voice follows.

Germany turns pale. DR Congo comes out screaming as Prussia follows him. He is ready to shout out some more profanities when Germany grabs him from behind, putting his hand over his mouth in order to shut him up.

Congo breathes heavily with a sweatdrop on his forehead. "There is no such thing as a mentally stable European, is there?" he says.

Germany holds down the still struggling Prussia. "I'll invest in whatever you want just please don't tell anyone about this" Germany says turning red from embarrassment. Despite his tight grip, Prussia keeps trying to free himself and grab their host by the 'certain' parts.

"Excellent" Congo says happy "I already have a few ideas..." Serbia, who is behind everyone, smiles and gives Congo the thumbs up.

 ** _Phrase of the day_**

The blank white space. The head of chibi Armenia peeps from the edge. He jumps to the center of the frame with a big sign that says 'Save the planet'.

He clears his throat to start: "I would like to announce that my diaspora and me have started a very important project beneficial to everyone. We decided to plant 10 million trees and..."

Sounds of a car coming at great speed are heard. Chibi Armeina jumps back as a ridiculous pointy-roof car comes flying by and stops with a screech. The founded of the Tesla, a man rightfully nicknamed the modern day Edison, takes off his sunglasses and states: "I have decided on my next big project."

Saying this he stand in front of Armenia covering him. "While I was driving in my awesome new car, I though to myself, electric vehicles are great and all but is that enough for the Earth? So I thought about it and it just came to me. Planting trees. What a great idea! With your help, I decided to plant 20 million trees..."

"Hey, that was my idea" Armenia protests from behind. The CEO turns and looks at him confused: "Who are you and since when are you here?"

This annoys the chibi nation. "I was here before you" he says with a vein popping out of his head. "Whatever" the CEO turns and continues telling us about his project.

"Um, I would move if I where you" the narrator finally speaks. The two seem confused. The sound of something heavy falling with great speed makes them look up and scream in terror. The CEO rushes to his car and drives away while Armenia runs off the screen in the nick of time. Numerous, words made of stone fall on the surface cracking it with their weight and quantity. They write: "IF YOU SEE A SUDDEN HYPE BEING BUILT FOR SOMETHING, CHANCES ARE THAT YOU CAN FIND SOMETHING SIMILAR BEING DONE SOMEWHERE ELSE. DON'T BE LAZY, SUPPORT LOCAL EFFORTS.''

A chibi Kenya pops out with a sign that says 'Plant trees'. "Hey, what about me?" he asks offended and moves away.


	86. Chapter 84

_**Current**_

An office where we see China frantically multitasking. A reporter in front of those doors speaks: "And so we have learned that the Corona virus is still spreading. Let's hear what the People's Republic of China has to say on the matter." Saying this she brings the microphone next to the busy China.

He flinches seeing her, still holding a phone. "Make this quick. I am very busy today."

"Oh course. May the public know what is being done to stop this awful disease?"

China gets a nervous thick. He looks exhausted but still manages to stand up straight. The telephones continue ringing and his assistant keeps bringing in more documents.

"Many things. We are curing the infected patients with great success. We are building hospitals and working on a vaccine. That is all" he says briefly.

"Anything else..." the reporter continues. "That is all. Now will you please go away! I have work to do" he says ushering her and the cameramen out.

He returns to working on the documents with great speed. As the pile seems to be getting smaller, his assistant brings in a new stack. This one is so large, that he cannot carry it and falls underneath its weight. China sighs: "This is fine."

Next scene: China sits in a dark room depressed. "This is not fine. I don't know how much more problems I can take."

A giant green dragon with glowing red eyes stands next to him. He is much larger than the visiting nation. "Don't be so worried. The worst has passed" he says as he sliders around.

"I hardly thinks so. I have my own to worry about while the other countries are breathing down my neck. I have huge expenses now and exports are declining. I blame the paranoia. I mean, the disease is spread through fluids. The only way to get infected from a package is if someone licks or spits on the product. That's something you would clearly notice" China says and slouches looking down.

He stays quiet like that. "I should have stayed in the shadows. Let those who sore high get blinded by the sun, while I roam underneath them getting rich."

"You would have had no choice but to reveal yourself sooner or later. It's not like you could hide with your proportions" the dragon simply explains.

China looks displeased with this answer. The dragon continues: "So the air is different on the mountain top. It's cold and hard to breath. But you have to agree that the view is amazing."

China stays completely still. His friend wraps around him like a reptilian cat. He let's him rest his head on his large scaly neck. "No one said it was going to be easy" the dragon says.

"No one said it was going to be this hard either" China replies. They stay in that comforting position for some time. The frame starts to zoom out and we see the scale of the large black room.

"This hardship too will end, as did many others" the dragon says. China smiles: "I'm so glad you are here. You are the only one I can tell my deepest sorrows to" he says as the frame fades.

"Well, back to work" we hear China from the dark.

 _ **1913**_

The five European powers, all except Russia, are in their special sky room. They are thinking about something and seem very upset. On the table in the center are newspapers snippets with pictures stating that Serbia has reached the shores of the Adriatic sea.

"This is bad. We need to do something before he decided so stay there for good" Great Britain says angry and concerned.

Austria suddenly smiles: "Not to worry. I just had one of my brilliant ideas."

"This should be good. You don't get those very often" Prussia adds.

Austria takes a pen with red ink and starts drawing on the map of the Balkans. They all look at it curious. As he finishes, we see the outlines of the modern day Albania. They all seem impressed. Suddenly everyone feel much more relaxed.

The scene changes from the sky room to an empty dark space. We hear Austria narrate: "Isn't she lovely." As he speaks a thin girl appears from the shadows. She has red hair and looks at the audience with a neutral expression.


	87. Chapter 85

_**World Academy W - some time ago**_

"Mom, please, let me stay at home tomorrow" Yasna begs in their kitchen waiting for dinner. Šćepan is there too, quietly watching TV.

"I don't think you understand how important education is" her mother says stern as she peels the potatoes. "You have to have a good attendance record or you won't graduate."

Desperate, the teen yells out: "But Mom! You don't seem to understand what hell I'm going through in that school. My former friends have badmouth me so much that no one wants to talk to me, and I have an enormous bully that keeps harassing me each and every day.

"Oh sweety, it can't be that bad" the mother says unconvinced. "Oh, it is" her daughter confirms energetically nodding.

Flashback: Lunch time in school that same day. Yasna is in the line ready to take her food, Enis is a few students further. He sees the last piece of a tasty looking baklava on the dessert shelf and licks his lips in anticipation. The piece is taken by Yasna who then goes to sit down. Enis looks at the empty shelf sad.

Next scene: At the table, Enis sits at his usual place. He keeps glancing at her tray pouting. As she finishes everything and is ready to eat the dessert, he starts fidgeting. "Oh come on! Are you really going to eat it?!" he says shocked.

She looks at him confused. "Um, yes. I don't see why not" she says.

Enis sulks and turns his head. "It's just...you know how much I like them. You would always let me have the last one or at least shared it with me."

Yasna can't believe his words. She straightens up and makes a face. "That was when I thought you were my friend. Now that you showed your true colors, I see no point in giving you anything."

"Don't be so cruel. Give him his baklava" Časlov interferes.

"It's mine and I am eating it myself" she says and takes a big spiteful bite. Enis stands up and yells at her: "You are such a meany. I'll never forgive what you've done to me!" He then storms off very loudly.

We see Yasna unapologetically continuing her lunch as Alfred appears behind her almost out of nowhere. "What happened now?" he asks impatient. "Nothing. Leave me alone" she says.

"She took Enis' dessert" Časlov replies. Alfred grabs the rim of his glasses furious. "Looks like someone needs another stay in the locker" he says and grabs Yasna. No one says anything. Not even Yasna. She just takes the plate with her and eats the rest of it in her locker.

End of flashback: We see her mom's attentive face. She smiles: "Oh these kids today. You don't know how good you have it. When I was in school, students would brings all sorts of weapons like knives and spears. You prayed to the Gods each day to end the day alive. Now that builds character... You are going to school tomorrow. End of story."

Yasna's jaw falls from shock. "You are unbelievable!" she screams.

"Oh don't be so dramatic. Your brother is doing fine, isn't he? Do what he does."

The teen turns to see her brother staring at the TV comatosed. She then turns to the table. Her mother is putting a pot on the stove. She sees one of the leftover potatoes and takes a bit.

The mother turns and gasps: "What are you doing?! That's raw. You are going to make yourself sick!" She tries to grab the potato from her hand but Yasna holds it tight. "That's the idea" she says as the two of them struggle.

 _ **August 8th 1913**_

Romania and Greece carry Bulgaria who is kicking and screaming. They are all in military uniforms. "You can't do this too me! I have my rights!" he screams trying to escape.

The two continue and, without saying a word, drag him down the stairs into a basement.

Next scene: He is showed in a small room. After they leave, Bulgaria starts banging the door yelling to be left out. Eventually he turns and sees Serbia siting at a desk staring at him this whole time.

He takes a deep sigh. "This is going to be painful, isn't it?" he says looking at what tools our main character brought. Except a decrepit table and two chairs, there seems to be nothing there. Serbia, in her military's uniform, continues to stare at him with a serious expression on her face.

Bulgaria looks at his former ally a little anxious. "So, what's going to happen now?" he asks sweating.

"All in good times" Serbia finally speaks still extremely serious. "Let's have a little chat first. Sit" she says looking at the chair. Bulgaria does so very carefully.

"Now, about the territory division" she starts. Bulgaria gets upset.

Flashback: A field after a battle. Serbia walks with Bulgaria. The latest united successes in the war left them both in a good mood. "So who are we looking for again?" she asks looking around.

"One of ours. But don't worry about it. I'll look for her. You can go and rest" he says and continues walking south.

Serbia does so, taking off her easily recognisable hat and sitting down next to a pile of rocks. She puts her gun down and is preparing some tobacco when she hears some noise. Turning sharply, she sees a short girl with long wild brown hair spying on her over the rocks. Relieved, she replies: "Are you lost?"

"Um, no. I, just wanted to ask if I can have a cigarette" the girl quietly says. Serbia nods and offers her pack. The girl smiles and comes out. She is wearing a national attire and has no shoes. "Did you make the Ottomans go away?" she asks taking and takes the tobacco wrapped in paper.

"Um, yes. Me and Bulgaria. You must be the representative of this region? I kind of have a feeling that I saw you before" Serbia asks.

"Oh, you probably did. I've been here since forever" the girl replies proud. She then continues telling her story and stops only when Bulgaria arrives.

"There you are! Oh, I'm so happy to see you" he says rushing to embrace her. The girl lets him put his arms around her but his squeeze is too strong. We see her feeling uncomfortable while he still continues to hold her smiling. End of flashback.

Next scene: In the basement. Bulgaria looks angry. "We had a deal" he says mad.

"I know" Serbia replies. "It's just..."

Flashback: _(_ _May 30_ _th_ _1913)_ London. A large nicely decorated negotiations room. On one side are England, Russia, Austro-Hungary, Germany, Italy and Ottoman. On the other, Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro. The newly freed regions are sitting quietly, awaiting their fate. They all seem serious and anxious.

A large map of the Balkans is on the center of a large table. It's Serbia's turn to get her part of the territories. She looks at the map, with her hands crossed, silent and displeased.

Britain observes her, finally speaking: "I would strongly advise that you accept these territorial changes. We have pondered day and night to make the best possible decision for that region."

The side of Serbia's lip arches down. "It's hard to take these squiggly lines you made seriously when you didn't even care to spell my name right" she says straining to breath normally.

"Think of the people, this is the best for them" Italy adds compassionate.

"Really? Interesting. Because the last time you were given some colorful ink and a large piece of paper, you drew two long lines between me and my brother who just happens to have a coast."

"Barely has a coast" Montenegro adds depressed.

"You were given those territories now" Russia addresses her. She glances at him disappointed and continues: "And now, the region my army fought and died for, and fairly won, is being taken away. And, surprise surprise, it's the one that has access to the sea. Call me crazy but I'm sensing a pattern here" she states keeping her voice low and monotone.

Austria rolls his eyes: "Oh please, stop being so self-absorbed. The world does not revolve around you. These territories will have a brand new nation. Its rightful representative."

"And what about my people there?" Serbia says emotionless.

"What people? There are only my people there" a female voice is heard. A girl with red hair stands. She seems cute, but Serbia gets the impression that she is not that bright. She has a white skirt with a red and black vest and apron."I would like to say how happy I am you acknowledged me. I will show you my worth by becoming the most prosperous country in the Balkans" she states to the powers with confidence. None of the Balkan countries are impressed.

"And who are you supposed to be?" Greece blurts staring at her suspicious.

"Why, I'm Shqip..." she says before Austria interrupts. "Her name Albania" he says to which she stops talking and nods.

End of flashback: "So!" Bulgaria yells "You got scr*wed over by the powers and you decided to take it out on me! She is mine! We had a deal."

Serbia stands up furious. "Yes you are right. We HAD a deal. But things are different now. You may not have noticed, from that meeting but I am in great danger. I need a strong army as a bargaining chip in case the great Austro-Hungarian Empire decides he is done playing passive parlor games and moves on to the battlefield. And with the losses I endured chasing away our common enemy as well as coming to your aid in battle, I am entitled to some land and some more manpower!"

"How can I trust you after this? You were always after my land. Ever since we were little, you kept taking the side of anyone who was against me" Bulgaria yells back.

"Oh please. I was a kid. And you were no better...What did we know back then? Nothing. No one did. We hopped around the battlefield in epic fights just for fun. But we are adults now. We must be mature and responsible so that our people can live long and happy lives" she says with conviction and sits back down.

He crosses his hands listening.

"Alright. This is my offer. I will forget that you savagely attacked my forces in the middle of the night starting this whole mess..."

"You deserved it" he interrupts.

"And the boys and I agreed to ignore the fact that, while you were fighting me and Greece, you left your capital and the rest of your land completely unguarded, letting Romania nonchalantly waltz in" she says trying to suppress a laugh. He makes a face but remains silent.

"They will take a small portion of your territory but I will respect the boarders drawn before the war. I will only keep the girl" Serbia states.

Bulgaria stands up so violently that his chair hits the ground. He paces around swearing.

"If you are planning to start another fight, I won't hesitate to call Romania and Greece. They are outside listening in. Whose side do you think they'll chose?" she says in an extremely calm and confident manner.

Bulgaria sighs and stops to think. "So this is the plan? There won't the any unexpected changes when we go and sign the treaty?"

"You have my word" she says standing up and extending her arm. He reluctantly accepts it and they shake hands. From his face, we can see that he is not satisfied, but he calms down and stays that way. For a while.


	88. Chapter 86

**_June of 1389._**

A group of soldiers ride following their leader who rides in front in full armor. They hurry with great speed towards a stone castle.

Next scene: Near the entrance, as a servant comes to take his horse into the stables, the armored figure jumps off his him and we see that he barely reaches the horse's chest. Strutting down the stone corridor, he pushes a door away. As they violently swing we see a room with Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina standing over a table. A little surprised at first, Serbia greets her brother with open arms. Hercegovina and Bosnia nod and look at each other. Bosnia now looks like a young teen while the other three seem to be twenty.

"Told you I would come when you needed me" he says proud.

Serbia smiles and hastily looks through the window. Her expression becomes serious as she silently counts Zeta's forces. "Is this it? Where's your boss Balšić _(_ _Балшић)_? Shouldn't he be here too?" she asks unimpressed.

Zeta _(or Duklja, depending on the sources. I guess changing his name took longer than_ _expected_ _)_ pats the back of his head as a large sweat-drop falls from his forehead. "He's not coming" he finally utters.

"Why not?" she asks.

"He's busy" Zeta replies.

"Too busy pillaging nearby regions, I suppose" Bosnia mutters under his breath.

Serbia shakes her head. "Well, I'd hate to say 'I told you so', but..."

"Spare me the talk. It's not like you never made mistakes...Like battle of Maritza 1371, for example?" he blurts staring at her. The two in the back cannot stop themselves from chuckling.

Her face turns pale. "Um" she starts to stutter: "That's all my former *bosses' fault. Who ever heard of celebrating a victory a night before it happens?!"

 _ ***{Vuk Mrnjavčević (Вук Мрњавчевић), the previously mentioned adviser of the former emperor and his brother Uglješa (Угљеша)}**_

The three try to suppress their laugh. "Stop that. This wouldn't have happened if my emperor Uroš didn't die so suddenly and mysteriously without leaving an heir. It's like all the good bosses have vanished from the face of the Earth" she becomes defensive.

"I don't know about that. I'm pretty satisfied with mine" Bosnia brags.

As he talks, Serbia remembers the battle and takes a moment to sigh.

Flashback: On the aforementioned Maritza river. It's the middle of the night. The army camp is burning and we can see some knights defending the foreign enemy blows while still holding their wine cups.

"No, no, no. This is not happening. This can't be happening? The Ottoman troops are in Asia Minor" Serbia who is standing dumbfounded utters. She looks around and starts shouting. "Hey! Their representative is not here. That means these aren't their main forces. This is just..." and before she can finish, a loud scream catches her attention. She looks in the direction of the east and sees someone with great speed running towards her.

"Bet you didn't expect me, did you? I ran all day to get here" he yells coming closer and closer. He is wearing a white mask and looks like he just turned 18. At the edge of the camp, he jumps up with his saber and hurls at the shocked Serbia who places her sword in a defensive position.

End of flashback: Back in the room, she bows her head grim. "Simply goes to show that you can never be too confident in a victory" she says sad.

Hercegovia approaches and gives her a comforting hug. "There, there. No use in reliving such tragedies. Let's make a plan of battle." Serbia looks at her friend, smiles and nods.

The four of them look at the map again. The war drums are heard, becoming louder and louder. We see many figurines of soldiers and cavalry as well as a gold Orthodox cross being placed on the map. The frame slowly zooms in on the part of the map named Kosovo. The war drums intensify and abruptly end as the frame fades to black.

 _ **World Academy W (present)**_

The frame starts with the school. The narrator says: "You may be wondering how the students of World Academy W know so much about current events. In a way, it was their 'homework'. Not a lot happened in their lives outside of school, so they were taught from an early age to stay informed. And frankly no one minded." As she talks, we see still-shots of students doing research. Some, like Yasna and Šćepan, watch the news on TV, others, like Bhart, read the newspapers. However, most simply surf the Internet.

Next scene: We see Berwald looking at a Swedish news site in his room, which is minimalist with clear lines. We hear his thoughts as he scrolls the page: "I wonder what they say about me elsewhere."

His screen opens to Google's homepage as he types 'is Sweden'. The given suggestions are 'in the EU; part of Nato; better than Germany(?!)'.

"Hm, this is too broad and useless. Let's see what I can find on YouTube." He goes to the site and sees a PewDiePie video. "Oh, he is Swedish. I wonder what he says about me?" He watches a few of his videos. "Not much...He's quite charismatic though. Has an incredible following which can be frightening. Hopefully, he has some level-headed advisors by his side to help him channel all that influence. Such people need them the most."

Berwald stretches and rubs his tired eyes. "What does the rest of YouTube say about me?" we hear his thoughts as he types in the search bar. He sees some interesting titles of right-wing channels. Curious, he watches a few and is so bewildered by the content that he keeps watching them until early in the morning.

Next scene: At school, the next morning. Berwald enters the school. He has bags under his eyes and seems scarier that usual despite the fact that he is trembling. He moves like that, navigating through the hallway and accidentally bumps into someone. He looks down with a serious expression on his face.

An extremely skinny girl with a scarf over her head looks up. "I'm...I'm sorry" she says quietly. Upon seeing her, the tall scary looking student jerks back letting out a high-pitched scream. Everybody stops what they are doing and looks at him confused. The small girl is especially confused. She blinks twice.

Berwald quickly runs back the way he came and exits the school still screaming.


	89. Chapter 87

_Modern times_

A theatre filled with people. The actors have just finished performing 'Fiddler on the Roof' and are bowing to the applauding audience. Among them are Israel and Serbia who clap delighted. "Yeah. Rewind, rewind. Do it again, but this time with heart" Serbia smiles in an extremely good mood. Israel looks at her confused and turns to think.

Serbia sees this and adds: "Relax, it was just a joke. Get it, because it's a live performance and not a video..." Her new therapist smiles but still thinks for a bit.

"If you liked it so much. I could ask for the actors to return" she says. Serbia looks at her awkward and pats the back of her head. "Oh, no...really. I mean, yes, it was fun, but I'm sure they are tired and have better things to do."

"Well, I'll ask just in case. They won't say no to me. Let's just wait until everyone else leaves" she replies and they sit down.

Next scene: All of the seats, except theirs are completely empty. Israel is ready to get up and go backstage when Serbia asks quietly: "So this is what it was like for your people before you got your own place?"

Her companion nods seeming a bit sad. Serbia continues her train of thought aloud: "How can anyone who creates such beautiful human stories be so hated? I'm usually very good at judging people by what they say. I can see through the b*llsh*t right away. But from what I can tell, you are genuinely good. Of that I am certain. I just don't get it."

"Well...If you figure it out, let me know because I have been wondering the same thing?" Israel says trying to sound lighthearted.

"Don't get me wrong. You are annoying at times. But more in a nagging aunt or bratty-college-student-who-keeps-wining-how-she-didn't-study-for-the-test-but-still-gets-the-highest-score kind of way. I mean, I get the hate some powerful Jews get for their iffy behavior. They should be put in check. But to put such a tag on the entire nation is neurotic. I mean, you should see how the faces of some people immediately get distorted and how they start to growl at the mere mention of..."

"You don't have to continue. I know...I'll be right back" she interrupts and sighs walking.

"Honestly, you don't have to" Serbia continues.

"I don't have to but I want to. Now sit comfortably and enjoy the show. As your therapist, I command it" Israel insists.

"Um, alright. If you say so...Just the most popular numbers. And they can skip the entire wedding part. But keep the finale."

"Okay. So skip all the dancing and the dialogue" her collocutor replies.

"Well" Serbia utters and starts twirling her hair. "You can keep the young Russian men dance" she says blushing.


	90. Chapter 88

_World Academy W – some time ago, let us assume the 90's_

Enis and Časlov are walking to the cafeteria. Časlov sees the Višegrad group and observes them. "I wish they noticed me" he says yearningly. The frame moves to Enis who starts acting weird. He frantically shakes his head and slouches constipated.

"Are you okay?" Časlov says worried.

Enis grabs his head as if in pain. He jolts up and starts screaming: "Get away from me you murderer! Don't think I don't know who you are and what you did!" Časlov turns awkward to see if anyone is watching. "What's the matter with you? Aren't the meds working?" he whispers frozen.

Enis looks at him angry. "Just get out of my way. I have to find Yasna." As Enis runs through the hallway, Časlov observes him worried. Elizabetha, who heard the commotion, comes closer and asks what happened. He explains. They start talking and Časlov walks with her toward her group.

Next scene: Yasna and Šćepan are at the cafeteria door. She looks are her tiny wrist and colorful beaded bracelet. "Damn, my hands became so bony, my bracelet might fall off. "Mhm" Šćepan replies.

Enis catches up with them. Breathing heavily from all the running, he grabs Yasna by the shoulders. She turns confused and a little scared. He smiles and hugs her heartily. "I'm so sorry for everything that maniac said. I truly want to be your friend. Please accept me back into your group" he says with a big smile and happy tears in his eyes.

Yasna takes a step back, observes him for a moment and concludes that this is not a trick. Smiling back, she pats him on the shoulder and says: "Of course. I'm so happy you feel this way."

A second later, Enis' entire facial expression changes and he swipes her hand in disgust. "Ew haven't I told you never to touch me again? What is wrong with you?" he yells.

Both Yasna and Šćepan raise their eyebrows. The screams catches the attention of the other students. Alfred, Arthur and Francis are already inside. They hear it too.

"What is wrong with you?! You are acting like a crazy person" Yasna yells.

Enis grabs his head. His expression changes again: "That's not me. That's him! He was given pills to get rid of me, but I was stronger." He shakes his head again and a third voice appears: "Hey, what about me? Don't I get a say in this?"

"Shut up you! You are gonna be sorry when I get my hands on more of those pills."

"Oh, no you aren't. I threw them all in the toilet this morning while you were still drowsy" Enis says each line with a different expression.

The cafeteria door violently opens. Alfred stands furious, with his hand on the door. Arthur is near him. Enis looks at them and runs to hug Arthur. "There you are. Oh please, I need my medicine. That thing is acting up again" he begs and turns his head frantically. "Oh no you don't" he says in a slightly different voice.

Časlov is standing near the central European table. "Isn't that your friend?" Feliks asks concerned.

"Oh. He's just a guy I occasionally hang out with. I felt sorry for him because he has some mental problems" Časlov is defensive.

Yasna is still at the same spot, not sure what to think. Alfred glares straight at her as Enis continues to argue with himself. "I should have known you are behind this" Alfred says angry.

Yasna turns to him in shock. "How is this my fault? Wasn't it obvious by his population structure that this was bound to happen?!"

"Simple" he continues taking a few steps towards her. He towers over her skinny frame like a skyscraper. "Every time there's a problem with the Balkan students, chances are astronomical that you are a part of it. And then they come and cry to me for help and then I have to clean up the mess...Well you know what? I'm really sick of it. I have better things to do then babysit a bunch of crybabies."

Yasna replies taking a step back: "Then don't. It's not like anyone asked you to."

Alfred smirks getting in her face. "Oh, I intend to. But first, I'm gonna pound some sense into you so you don't think of trying anything funny ever again."

Her eyes turn big from fear. As he rushes to grab her head, she manages to move away and runs towards the window.

Next scene: A group of students, 5 or 6, eats outside the school. They are boys, and one girl, that resemble each other. Sudden shattering of the glass, alerts them and they turn their heads just in time to see Yasna land on all fours. She looks at them terrified. Not many people fraternise with this group. Among them, she notices that one blond taller boy is not wearing his school shirt but a blank tank-top and is holding a sandwich. The group stares back at her confused and territorial.

She quickly gets up and runs towards the bushes and out the gate. Alfred follows soon. He looks around and spots the boys: "Anyone seen a girl about this big? Crazy fast."

They all nod. One of them points in the direction Yasna went. Alfred looks in that direction displeased and turns to them again. "Well don't just stand there. Help me catch her."

They all obey and very soon, a group of 5 teen boys is chasing our main protagonist around the school property.

Next scene: After school Šćepan returns home. Upon entering, he hears crying from their small living room. There, he is relieved to see that Yasna has already gotten home and is crying in their mother's arms.

Seeing him, Yasna wipes away her tears and asks him to come closer. Their mother looks angry at him: "Why didn't you do something while your sister was being haunted down like an animal" she scolds him with tears in her eyes.

"What could I do? Get beat up too?" he defends himself. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" he asks her.

Yasna shakes her head and falls on his shoulders sobbing: "Tell me something bro. Am I evil? I mean, I know I've made many mistakes and that I am not perfect but, do I turn into a werewolf during a full moon? Do I sleepwalk and harass people at night? Have I grown horns that I am not aware of?"

"Of course not. Where did that come from?" he asks confused.

"Then why does everyone hate me so much!" she screams and starts crying again. Šćepan, feeling uncomfortable, pats her on the back. Their mother puts her hand over her mouth and looks away.


	91. Chapter 89

**_29 May 1453_**

The narrator speaks as we see the great capital of the East Roman Empire being destroyed: "Constantinople has been breached for the second time in its existence. We can see the ruins of destroyed walls with cannons being heard in the back. For 53 days, the combined forces or the east and the west Christian churches fought together but it was too little too late".

Next scene: One of the demolished rooms of the main palace. Varangian is resting on a pile of dusty pillows bleeding heavily. One of the cannon balls hits him straight in the chest. He breads heavily and only manages to quietly utter: "I'm sorry. I failed you".

Byzantium, who is nearby, seems calm, almost peaceful. She is wearing her favorite purple dress and has her hair and make-up done as if she has been preparing for a lavish dinner party. Cleaning his face with a wet scrap of drapes, she shushes him soothingly: "It's alright. You were phenomenal." She leans in and softly kisses his face but because of the angle of the frame we cannot see exactly where. He smiles. "It's been fun" he says. Byzantium nods reassuringly. She caresses his silver wavy hair and says: "May your afterlife be all you imagined it to be." And with that Varangian turns his head, closes his eyes and becomes dust.

Romanos who was outside overseeing the escape of the lucky few Constantinople inhabitants and members of the royal family. The emperor did not make it. He enters the room and only sees Byzantium. "They managed to reach safety before the enemy ships could catch them" he says serious.

Byznatium is looking at herself in a small mirror. Turning towards him, she seems unusually serene. She extends her arms towards him calling him into a hug. He obliges although unwillingly. "It's over my dear" she says to which Romanos flinches away.

"No, it's not. We can escape, regroup, rebuild...It's not over" he says shaking. She calmly takes him by the shoulders and says: "Romaons, I'm tired. This was one siege too many."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Mother..." he pleads as she hugs him warmly. Her arms are very dry. Her skin stars to fall in flakes.

"I'm sorry" she whispers and sheds a tear. A cannon ball falls nearby covering the frame with dust and rock residue. When the dust clears, we only see the young adult coughing. He looks around searching for Byzantium.

"Mom!" he calls out a few times checking the other rooms. "Mom!" he calls out louder. Another cannon ball falls with a horrifying sound. When the grey cloud disperses, he sees a black shadow. Hoping it is her, he runs toward it only to be thoroughly disappointed when he sees it is Ottoman followed by his army. The two representatives look at each other coldly as the soldiers start pillaging in slow motion.

 _ **World Academy W (present)**_

The office of the large man with a cat. He is in the shadow but visible enough we can see him shaking as he takes deep enraged breaths. His cat is also electrified, hissing at someone.

Arthur is standing on the complete opposite side of the office with his head bowed. He is trying very hard to keep himself together.

"You have failed...miserably" the big scary man growls.

"I..." Arthur starts before he is rudely interrupted. "I don't want to hear your excuses! We had an agreement. You work for me and get everything you want. And now, everything is ruined!" the man continues as his eyes start to shine red.

Arthur keeps his head down, too scared to look at the man. "You are completely right. I simply couldn't cope. Please forgive me" he starts with a slightly trembling voice.

The man calms down just a little. "No matter. I already have something else in mind." His cat jumps from his lap and onto the table looking at the young student as if he is mocking him. With heavy steps, the man approaches Arthur who finally looks up.

"But first. I'll deal with you" we hear the man say and see his shadow covering Arthur's terrified eyes. The frame turns dark as we hear him scream.

Next scene: Next day was a Saturday. Yasna has seen that her roots are shoving and has planned to visit her hair-dresser that day. Passing the store display, she looked at her self and adjusted the part of the hair with the pin so that it falls behind her ear. Her reflexion shows a confident teenager with great potential. Despite all facial features staying exactly the same, the face that once presented a lonely nervous wreck, now stood a smiling image of loveliness.

She gets to the see-through salon door when a sudden voice stops her dead in her tracks. "Please dye it in the exact color as in this picture" a voice sounding a lot like Arthur's is heard.

"I see. This picture looks recent. When did this happen to you?" Julios asks getting the hair dye bowl.

Yasna hides behind the large house plant in front but still observes and listens to everything happening inside.

"Sadly, I have a condition. Please do not tell anyone. I feel slightly ashamed of it" Arthur, who has already sat down, says. His hair is completely white. Worst off is his traumatised expression as if something terrible happened to him.

"Do not worry your young little head" Julios says doing his magic. "If you knew how many students come to me for hair treatments, you would fall off from that chair from shock."

Upon hearing this, Yasna casually walks away. She has heard enough and decided to do the glaze another day.

Next scene: At the language club meeting. Several of them have been held in the amphitheatre and everyone is enjoying the change. The many students are all sitting comfortably with the students of similar languages.

Yasna is sitting with the Balkan Slav group but is far enough not to have to interact with all of them. She observes Arthur, who is presenting the topic of the day. "Unbelievable. He looks exactly the same. As if what I saw a few days ago was just a dream" she says deep in thought.

She turns slightly to the left and sees Alfred, sitting a few rows bellow. "I wonder what else happens that we have no idea about. How many people changed so drastically but still appear completely the same."

Alfred is reading the questionnaire everyone has been given for that meeting. He takes off his glasses to clean them and turns as if sensing he is being watched. He sees Yasna looking his way, smiles and waves. She waves back and quickly looks away. Alfred turns again and continues reading the paper without his glasses.


	92. Chapter 90

_Modern times_

It is a slightly dry day. Ethiopia is brewing coffee beans in a specialised pot outside her huge house. Through the large windows, we can see many sofas as well as other precious things. She looks around 30 and has thick black hair that she loves to stylise, making a different hairdo every day. Hearing a strange noise, she stops what she is doing and turns in all directions.

Looking to the river Nile, she sees a man, tall and dark-haired with a serious expression, seeming about her age, with four bodyguards who run after him and his golden chariot. The man stops and elegantly steps out of his chariot with the help of his entourage. Ethiopia rolls her eyes and replies annoyed: "Egypt...my old friend... I worry about you sometimes."

"I thought you would appreciate a nostalgic reminder of the glory days" he replies calmly as he turns his dignified profile to the audience.

"Ha! You were full of yourself then and you sure are not any better now" she says swiping a fan over the coffee beans. "Would you like some?" she asks her guest.

"No thank you. I do not have a plan to stay long. I came over to see what you decided about the hydroelectric plant" he continues.

Ethiopia makes a face and starts moving the fan quicker. "There is nothing to decide. The plant will bring a lot of good to my country. My people will finally have enough electricity and I can even make some extra money. It is going to be built - no matter what" she finally says.

Egypt is not pleased with her reply. "This will affect me greatly. I need that water to cultivate my crops."

She looks at him dead serious. She turns towards him completely and crosses her arms. "I am willing to negotiate the terms but I assure you I will not be fooled into a bad deal."

"Fine. Just so you know, our powerful white friends are worried as much as I am. Green fields are more important than polluting structures."

Ethiopia scoffs:"Only a crazy person would take advice on environment from someone who owns a private jet. In my opinion, that alone disqualifies you completely from any eco debate."

Egypt exhails and says his goodbye. Riding away in his chariot, he does not look happy. Ethiopia is in no better mood either.

"Those meddling Westerners and their double-standards. It's the same story as with Eritrea. Of course, she can become independent. Might as well take the entirety of my coast with her. I'd like to see if they would take her seriously if it was any different" she adds irritated not noticing that she is being watched.

Next scene: A blond blue-eyed man in a flamboyant outfit sneaks around observing her. He moves here and there, hiding behind random objects. She has just finished roasting the beans and is ready to make coffee when the frame slowly moves to France who is nonchalantly smelling a rose near the cups. Finally noticing him, Ethiopia is startled out of her chair.

"Do not be afraid, my dear. I just came to have a friendly chat" he says in a smooth tone presenting her with a rose.

Confused, she accepts it. "But why...what are you doing here?"

"Oh, taking a stroll" France says slowly moving to her other side never taking his eyes off her. "You see, my lovely. I am well familiar with the West part of Africa...very, very familiar. And still, I do not know much about the east. In all honesty, I am extremely curious at the hidden jems that lie here."

His very obvious advances make her feel nervous. She puts her hands over her chest as if to hide it. "Mr. France, I am a proud and free nation. I was never colonised and I don't expect that to change now" she says offended.

"Oh, no no no no no, my dear. You misunderstand. I would simply love to get to know you better. To explore you, if you will. Perhaps even grab a cup of coffee" he says gently taking her hand. He continues observing her as he slowly comes closer. "I promise to take very good care of you" he says softly.

Blushing and uncomfortable, she grabs the metal tray with her free hand and starts hitting him with it. "Go away, you perverted European."

"Oh please my chocolate queen. Ouch! Do not treat me this way" France says protecting himself from the strikes.

"Get out" she screams making him run away. At a safe distance, he pops his head. We see his tears fall like waterfalls. "How sad. How can I go on knowing that she was the one who got away."

He stops crying and states determined: "I must change that. No matter how long it may take, I will win her heart." The background is covered in pink hearts. France is returned to reality hearing her scream to get lost. He frowns and runs away as a cup flies his way.

 _Yeah...I was in a goofy mood when writing this. Can you tell?_


	93. Chapter 91

_**June 1914**_

A field in the heat of battle. Knights on horseback clash swords with enemies in light armor and sabers. Knez Lazar (Кнез Лазар) has lead his army into the final clash with Sultan Murad. Knight stands on the field, silent and unresponsive to the fighting around him. We see his long chestnut hair and beard as his helmet has been removed. It is Vuk Branković (Вук Бранковић). Serbia arrives on her horse, in armor and with tied hair. "What are you doing?! Did you get hit in the head?" she asks concerned and angry at the same time.

He looks at her with a blank stare and says: "It's over. We're all dead."

She looks at him shaken to the core. "You must have been struck hard. We're not dead. We are advancing" she says holding her banner high as her horse moves down another overconfident soldier.

"There will be nothing left of us. Please my fatherland, hear my words! Retreat! Save our best" the knight begs.

"Bite your tongue! I will not listen to the words of a crazy person" Serbia comes closer to scream at him. He looks at her, pale as a ghost, scaring her even more.

"My kingdom. An urgent telegraph has just arrived for you" he says.

Next scene: Serbia opens her eyes. She is in her office, napping on the sofa. Her hair is extremely short and she is wearing her usual make outfit. The soldier who has woken her up stands near the door. Except the latest uniform and short hair, he is the spitting image of the knight from her dream.

"Is everything alright?" the soldier asks concerned.

"I'm fine...I had a strange dream. Or was it a memory? It's already beginning to fade" she says still drowsy.

The soldier presents her with an encrypted message. Reading it, the kingdom shakes her head displeased: "And all of this only days before Vidovdan... I'm going to have to change my plans again. F*ck!" she groans and starts getting ready for a trip.

"Have the informers taken a good look at these troublemakers going to Sarajevo? I suppose they are highly trained soldiers loyal only to Apis..." she says putting on her olive green coat.

"They have. It is a group of young men none older than 18" the soldier says.

She looks at him dumbfounded: "Excuse me? Am I supposed to protect a foreign heir to the throne from a bunch of local teenagers?" The soldier doesn't know how to reply.

She immediately takes her coat off and sits down: "I'm not going to crawl through bushes in order to do Austria's job. He's banned me from even entering Bosnia, you know."

The soldier takes this news uneasy. He keeps standing like a statue. "Do you have something to say?" she asks annoyed.

"If I may speak my mind..."

"Speak away."

"I propose it would be wise if you went to talk some sense into them" the soldier states carefully. Serbia thinks for a bit, in an extremely bad mood.

"You know what? No" she says spiteful. "I'm tired of being Austria's gofer while he acts all high and mighty. Do you know all of the things I had to do? How many rebellions I prevented so he can live such a peaceful and oblivious existence?" she starts to pace mad. The soldier watches her worried.

She stops and declares: "On Vidovdan, I will go and visit some old monasteries on Kosovo. Go back to the field where the battle happened and pray for all my brave men who died there."

"Forgive me but...Isn't that careless? What if they succeed?" the soldier asks.

Serbia smirks: "I doubt they will even try. And if they do, I'm sure Austria has given his future emperor adequate guards to protect him. It's the least he can do."

The soldier opens his mouth but stays quiet.

Serbia glances at him again. "Oh come on. State your opinion already. You seem full of them today" she adds annoyed.

"My fatherland, I understand it isn't my place...but what if they succeed? These young men may be the death of us all" his voice cracks a little.

The kingdom feels uneasy. She thinks some more, probably replaying how Austria treated her. The spite returns to her eyes. She states: "The answer is still no. Inform the Austro-Hungarian government of the potential attack but leave me out of it. The world will not end if I take a day off."

"My kingdom...What if it does? Would you risk seeing the world burn?" he says starting to sweat.

She looks at him visibly furious. "You know what... If a group of boys is enough to make this entire corrupt system crash down. If such a small spark can set everything into flames, then what's the point in walking on eggshells?" she states through her teeth stepping closer.

"Let it burn" she says with a manic tone. The soldier gulps.

She dismisses him after which the soldier runs to fulfil her command.

Finally alone, Serbia folds tobacco paper and lights it. She stares from her window frowning. The frame slowly moves away as we watch her back as well as the outline of the living city.

 _ **World Academy W (even more time ago)**_

School is quiet. Ominously quiet. A machine gun is heard. It's becoming louder and louder. A few students run through terrified, then a few more and very soon the hallway is covered with frantic screaming students. Their uniforms seem similar, the boys have short oily hairs while the girls mostly have their hair tied in some sort of bun. The machine gun is heard again.

Only after the stampede goes through that we see who is shooting. It is a blond boy, who laughs hysterically as he slowly follows the crowd, shooting left and right. He has a black undershirt, a necklace with a black cross and heavy steel booths. Only his pants are part of the school uniform.

He continues to walk like that, screaming something difficult to hear from all the gun shots. Some students fall down injured. Others scream for their dear life. This was going on for an hour or so.

The shooter walks near a row of lockers. Ivan's hand appears from one with a heavy wrench. It knocks him out making him fall to the floor. Ivan get's out of the crammed space breathing heavily. We can see he is terribly beaten up and bruised, with his hands and legs bleeding. He slouches near the unconscious attacker.

The students turn around to see what happened. Alfred and Arthur appear almost out of nowhere. The guy becomes conscious and tries to grab his weapon only to be knocked out again by Alfred's foot. "It's over guys. The shooter is disposed of" he says taking his gun and triumphantly raising it up. The students cheer. Ivan is so tired, he barely manages to get up and cheer along.

The teachers and the school staff appear shortly, helping the wounded and calming the situation. One of the gym teachers is holding a portable camera with a strong flash and keeps taking pictures.

Next scene: In a dark room resembling a dungeon, the shooter wakes up only to discover that he has been tied to a chair as the principal and a few other members of the school staff stare at him disapprovingly. The shooter sees a gym teacher from earlier. He has long fair hair tied in a ponytail. He shakes his head. "For Heaven sake Ludwig, couldn't you keep it together at least after the graduation?!" he says embarrassed.

"Fath-" he tries to speak but is discouraged by a whip across the mouth. A teacher enters the room, closing the heavy metal door. As most of them, he too has a teacher sweater and thick glasses.

"It seems that almost all the students will recover. The doctor says that only one girl is critical" he says.

The principal sighs: "That's good news. Inform their parents and keep me updated on her condition. If the doctor asks for anything, get it for him immediately".

The teacher nods and quickly leaves the room.

A female staff member comes closed to the worried principal, who seems exactly the same with the same sharp white mustaches and slim construction. She is probably the secretary of the school but is completely different to the one in the present times. "What are we going to do with him?" she asks pointing to the student who keeps trying to free himself.

"Let me handle it" the gym teacher abruptly turns. "I'll talk some sense into him and he will be ready to start school again in no time." The woman looks at him shocked. "Are you insane? We cannot let someone like him back in. What will the students say?"

"The students will be fine. As soon as everyone recovers, we will have a grand picture day and sort everything out. As usual" the principal says calmly.

"That's right. And I will take care of him personally. His sibling will help too" the gym teacher is persistent.

The woman is not convinced but the principal seems to agree. "You better start right away. Do what you must" he says.

The gym teacher smiles relieved as Ludwig stares at everyone afraid. "What are you talking about?! What are you going to do to me? What...What kind of place is this?" he screams in panic.

His father turns: "Don't worry. This is for your own good." He says as we see the teens terrified expression.


	94. Chapter 92

_World Academy W (some time ago)_

Yasna sits in an office fiddling with her plastic colorful bracelet. She stares sadly finding it hard to speak. "...And then, I...I hid in th bushes outside the fence. When I heard multiple people running around, looking for me, I risked it and quietly moved the leaves away so I can see. Then I grabbed the first opportunity I had to jump over the fence and continued running as fast as I could towards the first intersection" she concludes with her head bowed. Her mother is sitting next to her. Hearing this story again deeply upsets her.

The school counsellor is sitting at her desk. She is a middle-age woman, with olive skin and an extremely stylised perm. She would always tie in a bun with only two long curly strands on both sides. Her fine suit and skirt combo is made even more fashionable with the assortment of simple golden jewellery. Students would joke that every morning she gets dressed for a runway before remembering she works in a school. "And these boys, did they chase after you after you got to the intersection" she asks with an extremely dominant posture.

"Um, no...When I looked back. There was no one there" the girl says quietly. The school counsellor thinks for a while nodding and then asks: "And this attempted attack. Was it out of hostility or sexual?"

The mother looks at her in shock. Yasna utters confused: "I don't know. I hope not."

"Well please think about it carefully. I really would like to know" the counsellor continues writing something down. "What difference would that make?" the mother asks.

"It would help with filing the case properly" the counsellor calmly responds.

Yasna's mother loses it. "Excuse me, but do you see the state my daughter is in. She is skin and bones from all the stress and your first thought is archiving!" she yells mad.

Yasna stays quiet. The counsellor looks at the mother, moving her entire body to face her. "Mrs Petrović, please do not concern yourself with my paperwork. That is my problem alone. And as far as young Yasna is concerned, I would love to help but unfortunately, since there are no visible injuries, my hands are tied" she says with an authoritative tone.

"So, there is nothing you can do?" Yasna interrupts concerned. "No...but I can give you a few days off for your condition if the school doctor agrees" she says calmly and writes something on a piece of paper. She then gives it to the student and says: "Go to his office and ask him if you qualify for absence to recuperate your nerves."

Yasna nods and quickly leaves the office. The mother and the counsellor are left alone. They look at each other irritated. "You know what happened. How can you be so idle! You didn't get this job just so you can take your expensive suits for a walk, you know!" the mother says.

"Funny, my dear, funny...If you only thought her to stand her ground she wouldn't be in this mess" she replies and sighs: "Such are the rules."

"Please do something for her. You care for her, don't you?" the mother begs.

"I do...I truly do" the counsellor replies deep in thought. "But for now, I can only monitor the situation."

Next scene: Yasna returns from the doctor's office sad. "He said that there is nothing wrong with me and told me to go away" she says almost on the verge of tears. Her mother jumps from her chair and hugs her. "Oh sweety, I'm so sorry" she says softly. "Come on...mommy is going to make you some pancakes" she says as they walk out. Before leaving, the two women exchange a knowing glance.


	95. Chapter 93

_**28\. June 1914 -early morning**_

 _(Warning: this story is completely fictional but may show some historical events)_

A small house with a yard made from hay and mud. It's painted white with plaster and has black windowsills. The yard is very large with barns while only chickens run around free. There is a table with a few chairs near the very small flower garden. A woman in her late 20-ties, short and pregnant walks outside putting a coffee pot with two cups. Her head is covered with a scarf and she has a very simple attire she probably made herself. Her husband, who seems about her age, gets out in only his shirt and pants, still yawning. Despite being heavy set, his face, only adorned with a mustache, doesn't have a trace of malice on it. _(In the modern times, he would probably be considered a teddy bear type)_

They sit down when a slightly older man walks by their wooden fence. "May you be live and well. How are you neighbors?" he says smiling. The woman rolls her eyes and the man greets him: "Very well. Just having our morning cup. Want to join us?"

"Don't mind if I do" the man at the gate says with his hand already cracking it open.

Next scene: We see three cups on the table. The neighbor has obviously made himself at home, to the annoyance of the hostess. "Where are the little ones?" he asks.

"Still asleep" the host replies.

The neighbor shakes his head. "That boy of yours is truly something. Did you know I found him in my chicken coop yesterday. I asked him what he was doing and do you know what he replied? He said I wanted to see if your chickens lay the same eggs as ours. Unbelievable!"

The man bursts out laughing as the woman turns her head frowning. "Yes, he told me. And he also told me that you beat the God out of him later" the woman finally speaks.

"I saved you the trouble of doing it yourself. He should know you are not supposed to enter other people's property without permission" the neighbor replies.

"You really didn't need to do that. He is just three. He didn't know any better" the man replies.

"And even if he did, he has parents to tell him right from wrong" the woman replies slightly irritated.

The man feels the hostility which offends him:"Look here neighbor, I realize he is your first son so I forgive you. But you have to understand that boys can be very mischievous and need to be thought discipline from a young age. Now your older one, for example, is an angel. She will make a very fine wife one day."

The woman scoffs. "She will do no such thing. As soon as she is old enough, I am going to enroll her into school. She is going to become a teacher and show all of you stuck in the past how children should be treated."

Her husband covers his face embarrassed. "I see now where your boy gets his character from. My God give you strength" the neighbor says to him to which he only nods. "I apologize, it's the pregnancy. My wife becomes very emotional during that time" he says in a very quiet tone.

"Well, I'll be going now. Thank you for the coffee and the hospitality" he says standing up. "I have to go. Work is waiting."

As they are left alone, the couple is left silent staring straight ahead. "You really didn't need to be so rude" the husband finally speaks.

The wife turns to him angry. "He merely broke our son's head" she whispers sharply.

"He's his godfather. He would never hurt him on purpose. Please be nicer to him, he's the closes thing I have to a brother" the man replies calmly. The woman shakes her head and sighs: "Well, one thing is for sure. I'm not letting the children play anywhere near his house again."

"Sure, like you can stop them from roaming around" the man replies to which they both chuckles.

The woman stands up slowly. "I should feed the animals" she says. "Yes, I should probably go and water the field" he replies. Before the woman can move further away, her husband gently grabs her hand. She looks at him confused.

"What, no kiss for goo luck" he asks her equally confused. His wife smiles. "I don't know. Why don't you ask your godfather to kiss you?" she jokes.

The man thinks, is intrigued for a second and then frowns shaking his head: "I would rather not. His mustache might tickle."

The woman snorts covering her mouth. Her husband tries to sneak in a kiss but she declines still giggly. He looks at her making a sad face to which she chuckles even more. He puts his finger on his right cheek. "Won't you please. One here and make it pop."

The wife finally accepts. She leans down and kisses the cheek making a loud kissy sound. The man stands up as if hit by a burst of energy and puts his šajkača. "That's the one. Now I can finish two fields at once" he says grabbing the garden tools and strutting towards the gate. His wife, still smiling adds: "You are such a child."

Going towards the stables, she encounters two small sleepy faces at the house door. It's a 6-year-old girl and a 3-and-a-half-year old boy still in their sleeping shirts. "What's for breakfast?" the boy asks rubbing his eyes. The woman looks at them a bit startled. "Milk...grab your cups and come with me" she says and heads to feed the cows first.


	96. Chapter 94

__World Academy W (some time ago)__

Hallway with many students. We see a hand taking with a blackboard sponge, dipping it into a bucket filled with a glowing green substance. The frame moves and we see it is Alfred holding the sponge while Arthur is holding the bucket with the substance. Francis is beside him too. The group of brothers is part of the crowd, still standing close to one another, refusing to mingle too much with the others.

On the other side is Yasna whose hands are held by Časlov and Enis while the little black boy is holding her leg tight. Judging by her clothes, Alfred has already thrown a few sponges with the liquid at her. This one hits her chin and neck. She stands clenching her teeth, shaking silently. "What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" Alfred says jokingly continuing to throw sponges at her. He gets careless here and there, accidentally dirtying Enis' clothes but the little boy gets it worse because all of the substance slides onto him.

Yasna withstands all of this waiting for him to finish, but he doesn't. He keeps throwing the sponges one by one as if he bought them by the bulk. After a few more hits, she thinks to herself: "So, this is my life now. This is all I can hope for." She looks up at her attacker and sees his calm and unrepenting face. She starts laughing slowly bursting into a maniacal laugh. A few more glowing sponges hit her. She doesn't stop. Her whole body shakes from laughter. The students are disturbed by her. Enis and Časlov let go afraid. The little boy still holds on tight.

Alfred stops confused. The cool kids exchange glances. Yasna keeps laughing hysterically. After a few minutes she catches her breath and says with a crazy look in her eyes: "So you think torturing people is fun, huh? Does it make you feel good? You think you must seem so cool, with your attitude and your entourage... How pathetic!"

Alfred's mouth opens from shock. All of the students look at her bewildered.

"So what! You're in charge for like a hot minute and you already think you can smear your b*lls*cks on whoever you find disagreeable" she says mimicking the smearing action.

This makes Alfred angry and he throws another sponge, harder this time. Yasna doesn't even flinch. She uses the goo and makes a target sign on her shirt with her fingers. "Go ahead, show everyone what a big strong man you are destroying a weak and defenceless schoolmate. What's the hold up?!" she screams spreading her arms. Alfred starts throwing harder and harder allowing some of the substance to hit other students.

Next scene: School counsellor enters the principal's office serious. "Is something the matter?" he asks calmly. "I believe there is something you need to see" she states.

They walk down the hallway and see the spectacle. All of the students have backed off in order not to get hit so the two are easily visible. Alfred is still throwing the sponges as Yasna dances and sings. "That's enough!" is heard which startles Alfred. They both stop and see the principal's enraged face. The school counsellor is standing next to him with a neutral expression.

"What is the meaning of this Mr. Jones?" the principal stares at him. "I..I was..." the student stutters still holding a soaking sponge. The principal points to the school floor which is completely green by this point. So are the lockers. "Clean this up. Now!" he yells never looking more serious. He tells the other students to go home. Once alone, Alfred is given a mop and Yasna is taken to the school showers by the counsellor. Yasna is very tired by this point and visibly bruised. She tries to clean herself but the substance is so strong, regular soap cannot take it off. The school counsellor calls the chemistry teacher to mix up a concussion that helps but also burns the girl's skin.

"I have to say Ms. Petrović, I am impressed with the way you solved your problem. Who would have thought that such a suicidal performance would work" the counsellor says smiling waiting for her to finish. In the closed shower, we see Yasna making a clearly confused face. Afterwards, she gets into her gym clothes and puts her uniform into a trash bag.

Next scene: Finally clean, Yasna walks through that same corridor seeing Alfred still trying to remove the substance with a mop. "Harder Ms. Jones. I want this cleaned in it's entirety by tomorrow morning" the principal says. The girl looks away terrified. The counsellor gently grabs her by the shoulder and takes her home in her car. Driving, the counsellor looks at Yasna who has her head bowed. "I talked with the principal and he agreed that you can take some time off. You can return when you are ready."

The girl looks at her. She sighs relieved and smiles. "Still, I would like to give you some homework. Once you return, you need to work on being accepted by the students again. They will look at you funny after your little melt down" the counsellor says. Passing a few stores, she says: "See this tiny library? There you will find some great old books on socialising. I recommend you read them."

Yasna looks at it and nods. "Thank you" she says grateful.

"No need to thank me Ms. Petrović. It's my job after all" the counsellor says stopping the car at Yasna's house. The student walks out and waves goodbye. The counsellor drives away worried.

Next scene: Yasna's mother is watching the news extremely anxious. A footage of buildings being bombed is seen. As Yasna walks in, she immediately jumps up and hugs her. "Sweety, where were you? I was worried sick" she says tearing up.

"It's okay mom" she says finally calm. "Good news...I'll be home for a while to help you with the chores."

Her mom smiles relieved. They hug like that as the news report continues to show the devastating affects of the bombing.


	97. Chapter 95

_**The cruise (it became an annual thing)**_

We see a party with many different countries wearing their best and smiling. The narrator speaks: "The cruise parties have gained the reputation of being spectacular. There, all the nations no matter how big or small could mingle and relax without the pressures of everyday politics. Let's see what some of them are doing, shall we?"

We see Djibouti dressed in a beautiful dress with jewellery covering her hair and face. She sees Ethiopia, whose hair is especially festive for the occasion. They hug. "Nice to see you, how are you enjoying the party" Djibouti asks smiling.

"It wonderful. I believe it is the best one yet" her friend replies happy.

"I see...And where have you been? I haven't seen you since we boarded" Djibouti asks to which her friend blushes. This intrigues Djibouti who notices it straight away.

"Are you hiding something from me?" she asks leaning closer. A big drop of sweat appears on Ethiopia's temple. Djibouti gawks at her eagerly anticipating a reply.

"To tell you the truth, I was with my..." as soon as she starts a tall male with blond locks puts his head on her shoulder. Djibouti stares at him in disbelief. It's France who came back with the drinks. "Did you miss me?" he says lovingly to Ethiopia before he turns and acknowledges his former colony. "Oh, why hello" he says coldly.

Djibouti gulps and slouches. "Good evening, Sir. Long time no see" she adds nervous.

"Oh please, no need to call me that. A friend of Ethiopia's is a friend of mine. I hope you are doing well" he continues in a friendly manner, surprisingly for him, not being even a bit flirty. The girl nods and smiles nervous. "Fine, fine...I've been fine" she replies.

France looks at the champagne he brought and notices that his glass is dirty. "Oh la la, such a catastrophe! I shall get a new glass right away" he says and kisses Ethiopia on the cheek before leaving.

Ethiopia starts sipping her drink. Her friend looks at her astounded. "How?" she asks confused. Ethiopia shrugs. "Do not worry, I do not understand it myself" she tells her.

Djibouti smirks. "I always assumed he prefers chocolate, but you? When did you even met?" she asks.

"It happened recently. I was making coffee one day when he appeared out of nowhere. At first I shunned his advances but then I ran out of things to throw at him. Still he kept returning and crept in-"

Djibouti comes closer whispering to her friend: "If you are in danger blink twice."

Ethiopia laughs. "-to my heart. Do not worry, it's working. It may sound strange, but it is" Ethiopia replies giggly.

The music changes into a waltz. France returns, takes Ethiopia's hand and ask her: "Would you like to dance?"

She nods and waves to her friend. Djibouti watches them on the dance floor still extremely confused.

 _There's no such thing as a bad ship. Am I right?_

 ** _World Academy W (present)_**

Leaving language club, Yasna meets up with Natalya and Ivan. They move together to the exit when Eliso walks by them. "Hey beautiful, aren't you even going to say hello?" Ivan catcalls. She takes one glance at him and hurries towards the door.

Yasna and Natalya look at him with judging eyes. Ivan sighs. He watches forward longingly: "You know, I still think about her. I would really love to take her home and..." he says heating up.

"Ivan!" Natalya interrupts embarrassed.

"...introduce her to the family" he finishes and smiles innocently. "What?...Don't look at me like that."

The two girls shake their heads.

Next scene: Outside the gate. "Hey, let's go and get something to eat" Yasna suggests. Natalya nods while Ivan declines.

"I already have plans. Sorry girls" he says and walks away. Yasna waves and adds suspicious: "Okay. But, don't do anything stupid. Stay out of trouble. You hear?"

Ivan waves not looking back. Once alone, the two students continue walking side by side.

"Wow I never saw Ivan get so excited" Yasna says. "You don't know the half of it" Natalya scoffs.

"I have to say, I expected you to act up, but you kept your jealousy under control. Good for you."

Natalya looks at her and starts to snorts. Yasna stares at her confused.

"Oh come on. I'm not that psycho" Natalya says.

Yasna is even more confused. "But what about the whole following-big-brother-wherever-he-may-be thing?"

Natalya giggles as they continue. "That's an act we like to do for others. It makes him look cooler and keeps the creeps away from me. I would say it's a fair deal."

Yasna smiles intrigued. "Unbelievable" she says smiling.

"Yeah. You wouldn't believe the amount of suitors I would have if it was discovered I'm normal" Natalya says as they stroll the empty street.


	98. Chapter 96

_**28\. June 1914 – before dawn**_

We see Serbia opening a chest with a big smile on her face, from the perspective of something inside it. She eagerly wiggles her fingers and carefully takes something out.

Next scene: Her office. From a different angle, we see she is in her male uniform and a half shaven head taking out a very natural looking brown wig. It's straight and shiny, a treat she has ordered from Paris. Serbia puts it on her head excited and looks in a mirror taken from her drawer. Seeing herself with this beautiful wig makes her all giddy. "Oh God, I really needed this" she says with glee.

Next scene: Outside the building, Serbia's head peaks out of the door. She steps out and we see that she is wearing a modest cotton dress suit and a leather bag. Her wig is stylized into a typical young woman look and is covered with a simple hat. She sneaks around like a teenager going out with friends without her parent's permission.

Next scene: On the outskirts of the capital, the sun is rising painting the sky all shades of red. Serbia walks alone deep in thought. "Should I be worried about Franz Ferdinand being in Sarajevo today? I mean, we sent a memo explaining everything. The Austro-Hungarian Emperor can't be that big of a fool. After the death of his only son and later his wife, he should be protecting this heir like a porcelain figurine. I'm sure everything is going to be fine" we hear her inner monologue.

"I certainly scared my poor assistant to death. I almost scared myself. I really should learn to filter my words when I'm upset...But still, I'm sure I made the right choice. I can't delay my plans every time a mayor power does something that annoys me. I wouldn't have time to do anything else" she continues watching the road ahead of her.

"And besides..." she starts a new train of thought when a sound of small steps creeps up on her. She feels the warmth of a small body near her leg. She looks down and flinches after seeing Runt by her side.

"What are you doing here?! You are supposed to be at the house, watching over the estate" she yells surprised.

"Grunt" Runt shortly replies.

Serbia shakes her head. "I already told you why you can't come. A young girl travelling alone is suspicious enough. If I bring you along, there is not a pair of eyes that won't be gawking at me."

Runt pleads rubbing his head against her shin. "I said no" she says determined but calm. Runt becomes upset. He grunts something at her which she rolls her eyes to.

"Oh please, you can't guilt trip me into taking you along. Can't you simply accept that I want to do this alone?" she says.

The little pig raises his snout as high as he can while stamping his hoof. He then turns. "Grunt grunt" he says and walks away. Serbia's face turns red. "Oh yeah...listen here you walking pork chop! I look damn good with this wig on! Now go home before I decide I want barbecue for breakfast" she yells frantically shaking her hands. Runt walks away unfazed. She growls for a minute more, takes a deep breath and continues on her journey.

Next scene: After the morning liturgy in church Lazarica*.

 _*{ **Church of the Holy First Martyr Stephen, a.k.a Lazarica, is a place where Princ Lazar with his army prayed before the battle of Kosovo}**_

We see Serbia, with her hair covered, putting something down and standing up. "There, I think that should be enough" she says wiping her forehead. We see that a bottom metal container, reserved for lighting candles for the dead, is completely packed and could very well be a fire hazard. She feels peace, for the first time after stepping out of her office that morning. She hasn't slept well, tossing and turning, dreading what Austria is going to do about the potential threat. But here, all her anxieties seemed to have vanished.

Serbia stepping out, completely calm, and with each passing step, her face becomes more and more worried. All of her negative thoughts and doubts return one by one, as if they were merely waiting outside the door for her.

Next scene: At the field where the battle happened. She sits on the grass cupping her knees, unable to relax. She sighs burying her head: "I though this would be a memorable experience. That it would help me remember better the days of my youth. But all I feel is dread. Why? I'm sure that Austria and Hungary have taken precautions by now."

Flashback: A few days ago in the Austro-Hungarian palace. Austria has his eyebrow raised while looking at an officer. "That's it? That's the entire message?" he asks the man.

"Yes, my Empire" the officer replies standing still.

Austria makes a face pondering. "Is Serbia going to do something about it?" he asks.

"No additional information was given to me, your Empire."

Hungary looks at her husband worried while Austria looks back at the newspaper he has been holding. "Then there is no need for alarm" he says and dismisses the man.

After he leaves, Hungary leans in and whispers: "Are you sure that is wise? What if something happens to the Archduke?"

Austria replies still reading the newspaper: "Don't be absurd my dear. It's probably just a prank."

End of flashback: Serbia, still on the field, opens her medium-sized bag. She takes out another grey wig along with a long scarf and a mask. "And now for the third thing I wanted to do today" she says smiling.

 ** _2014 - Belgrade (anecdote)_**

We see a grandiose bridge over an even mightier river Danube. The narrator speaks: "The news is pretty grim these days. Let's take five with a funny anecdote of what happens when two superstitious countries meet."

China and Serbia are standing near the construction admiring the view. "This is an excellent bridge. Thank you" Serbia says impressed.

China smiles: "Nothing to it. I am so pleased that you like it."

Serbia looks around seeming content. "Well, I think everything is ready for the opening ceremony tomorrow. Are you ready to go?"

"Wait, just one more thing" China says excited and runs to a large rectangle covered with black fabrics. He swiftly takes it down, revealing the monument underneath. Serbia looks at it astounded.

"In honor of the friendship of our two people I present you with this plaque" China says ceremoniously. Serbia stands staring at it. A big drop of sweat falls from her forehead. "I'm..um...lost for words" she finally utters.

China seems confused. He looks at the black marble monument, beautifully cut, with golden letters in both languages. "Is something misspelled? I ordered that everything should be checked twice."

"No...it's not that. Everything on it is perfect" she says with a quivering smiles, still very nervous. China scratches his head. "What is the problem then?" he asks.

"Well...don't get me wrong. It's lovely. A very lovely...tombstone" she says carefully.

He flinches in shock. "Are you serious?!" he asks. Serbia nods: "Yes...people usually put them over the graves of their loved ones."

China looks at her and then at the marble plaque, then again at her and again at the plaque.

He frowns and then says loudly waving his arms: "Your GDP is under 40 billion dollars! How can you afford marble as tombstones!"

"Doesn't everyone?" she asks confused.


	99. Chapter 97

**__28\. June 1914 –__ _ _around 9:__ _ _30__ _(Serbia)_**

A dusty path with small houses on both sides. Voices of people going about their day mix with the sounds of animals and birds. A lone old woman, covered with a large scarf slowly walks the path with a help of a cane. The woman passes near a familiar looking house.

"I'm glad I did this. It's necessary for a kingdom to be in touch with the feelings of its people" the old woman thinks as we look at her wrinkled very life-like mask. She sighs: "Still, I can't shake the feeling that I should..."

"Mama, why is the baby in your belly? Can't you lay eggs like the chickens" a squeaky child's voice is heard.

"You silly" an equally squeaky voice replies. "Mama's baby is too big to fit inside an egg."

A chuckle follows. "Perhaps that's the way it's supposed to be, my love. Different beings bring life in different ways."

"But why?" the boy continuous.

The amused granny moves closer and observes the speakers. A young woman is sitting next to the house with a little girl touching her large stomach. The younger boy is playing with some rocks near the flower garden.

The woman smiles and states: "I carry your brother or sister inside, near my heart and soul, just like I carried the two of you."

Before the boy can speak again the old woman coughs loudly. The family sharply turns in her direction. "Are you alright granny?" the woman says standing up.

"I'm fine my dear. Would you give a weary traveler a glass of water?" she says with a crackling voice.

Next scene: The small table is set. We see a jug filling a glass with water. Next to it is some cottage cheese and bread. A hand covered with the dark scarf takes it and drinks it in one gulp. "May your hands turn to gold" the old woman says to her hostess. The woman smiles and sits down with her. The children are too shy to talk. They quietly play a few steps away.

"So what brings you to this village?" the woman inquires.

"I went to the local monastery and now I'm heading back home. My poor old bones are aching" the old woman says theatrically.

"I see."

"Were you born here?"

"No, I came after I got married..." the woman says and hears the gate open. It is her husband carrying the equipment. Seeing the old woman, he bows his head and stands confused.

The woman turns to her guest. "Please forgive my husband. He isn't very chatty with strangers."

The old woman turns to him and jokes: "I hope I am not too scary for you young man."

The husband smiles nervous and sits at the table. "I was working...I mean, I know it's a holiday but the crops need to be watered...and...and my wife can't do it because of the stomach..." he rambles on with his head down. His wife comforts him by patting his strong back.

"I understand" she says with her granny voice. "You are very lucky to have such a caring husband" she addresses the hostess.

She smiles: "We have to rely on each other. Especially, since his mother died. This will be the first child I will raise without her help. What can we do." The man sighs sad. His wife looks at him with empathy.

After maybe half an hour, the man finally opens up. "My battalion didn't even have enough beds. I usually slept on the floor. We lacked everything and mostly ate cabbage and beans" we hear him tell their guest about his time in the Balkan Wars.

The old woman listens to him carefully. "Perhaps, the government did not have enough money to equip everyone" she says serious.

"They certainly had money for politicians and foreign officials" the woman says. "Not to mention people who come from abroad. They can pick and chose which job they want and a house along with it. Unlike, us...Sadly, that is the country we live in" the woman continues bitter.

The old woman, who you obviously figured is Serbia by now, clutches her cane uneasy. "Yes, that is true" she utters sad.

"Still, it's much better than when my parents were young" the man adds. "No one is raiding our houses or stealing from our fields and we have our own kingdom."

"Yes. Things are changing for the better. Our daughter will start school soon. She will have an opportunity to become somebody when she grows up" the woman says glancing at the little girl.

The old woman smiles. Observing the small family, her heart fills with joy. "I am glad to hear you are optimistic" she concludes.

Then, amid this idyllic scene, a voice in the back of her mind starts echoing "Let it burn" louder and louder. Her heart stops as she finally realizes the severity of the threat.

The two look at her confused. "Are you alright?" the woman asks.

"I'll be going now. I have a long way ahead" she abruptly says and stands up using her cane. The young couple jumps up to help her.

"Do you need someone to take you home granny?" the woman asks. "No, no, my dear. I'll be fine. Goodbye" Serbia replies in her granny voice, obviously in a hurry.

Back on the path, Serbia moves faster and faster until she starts running, leaving a trail of dust behind her. The young couple looks on amazed.

"That is one fast old woman" the man says to which the woman nods with her mouth open.

Next scene: In some bushes, we see Serbia crouching as she tries to get through as quickly as possible. Her clothes are torn, her mask slips from all the sweat and her cane is long gone.

"Good, the boarder patrol seems relaxed. Nothing has happened. Let's hope nothing will" she thinks clearing some branches.

Next scene: 11 am. On the outskirts of Sarajevo, she runs in clothes that now resemble drags and a completely ruined wig. Two shots are heard, making her stop. Women start to scream as the commotion becomes louder. We see her horrified unmasked face. She falls to the ground exhausted. "It happened and I'm too late" she whispers kneeling. The frame fades to black.

"Too late."

 ** _28\. June 1914 –_** ** _around_** ** _11 am_** ** _(S_** ** _arajevo_** ** _)_**

A young man stands near a deli shop. He is 19 years old and sickly looking. Little do others around him know what thoughts occupy his mind.

Flashback: Six young men shoot targets in the middle of the night supervised by a senior military officer. Among them is the young men in question, Gavrilo Princip.*

 ** _{_ _BTW t_ _he correct pronunciation of his last name is P-R-I-N-C-I-P, like principle without the_ _'_ _le'}_**

When they compare their targets, one of the boys remarks snickering: "Your aim is terrible Gavrilo."

"You must be blind as a bat" another adds.

He smiles embarrassed. "It's hard to see in the dark" he says quietly.

Next scene: A few hours later, in some sort of an underground layer, the boys recite a pledge with their hand on their heart with sincerity. Each with their own reason for accepting the dangerous mission.

The very same officer from before, Dragutin Dimitrijević Apis* (Драгутин Димитријевић Апис), then gives them the grenades, guns and cyanide and sends them on their way. He is the founder of their movement, Young Bosnia.

 ** _ **{I didn't**_** ** _ **write**_** ** _ **a lot about him, but he is very crucial**_** ** _ **for Serbia's**_** ** _ **political life of this time.**_** ** _ **For this reason,**_** ** _ **I suggest you research him on your own beca**_** ** _ **use,**_** ** _ **schem**_** ** _ **y**_** ** _ **as**_** ** _ **he was, I really don't have time to flesh out his character. Anyway moving on.**_** ** _ **}**_**

Next scene: Earlier that day. People have gathered to see the Archduke and his wife. The would-be assassins, along with one more member, have been placed strategically along the planned route. The open-top limo moves passing a few of them but nothing happens. Finally a hand grenade explodes near the car. Screams are heard as the unharmed couple is rushed to safety. Gavrilo Princip hears this and sighs. Their plan has failed. They have failed. Perhaps it would be wise to leave and avoid suspicion.

End of flashback: Looking at him, we cannot really know how he feels. Relieved or disappointed, it doesn't matter. Gavrilo can do nothing now except blend in with the crowd. He sees an old friend and starts chatting. He doesn't think about the gun is still hidden away in his jacket. It begins to feel like another ordinary day.

Suddenly, he hears cheers. The open-top limo turns to that very same narrow street he is in. His eyes open wide. "Could it be? Is this possible?" the young man thinks astounded.

"Is this a sign? What else could it be? Should I act?" he continues his train of thought as things unwind in slow motion. At that very same moment, the car, as if by command, stops right in front of him. The target is within an arms reach. He is so close he can look them straight in the eyes. There is no way he can miss.

We see Princip push a few people in front of him away and fire two shots. The frame turns to white.

Next scene: We watch poor Serbia clenching her knees prompt next to a wall. Her head is bowed low from devastation and partly because she wants to hide her identity. Her destroyed clothes make her look like a beggar and a few sympathetic people even throw a coin or two her way. The narrator speaks over the scene: "And the rest is...well, history. A few days later the ultimatum came and then the war...But for now let's leave our poor protagonist alone. She will need her strength for what is to come."

 _Well, here it is. Finally! I decided not to put_ _the part about the_ _sandwich because the story is pl_ _au_ _sible but not confirmed._ _As you can tell, there are a lot of things I didn't mention. For some, like Serbia-Russian relations, I don't feel the need to because there is a fan-made comic on DevianArt called 1914 that explains it beautifully and in great detail. Of and "worldwewanted" from Livejournal is also pretty good (use Yandex to find it). For other political intrigues, please check other sources. There have been many documentaries on Serbian TV in the past few years. With a little luck, you may find them online._


	100. Chapter 98

_2_ _9_ _. June 1_ _389._ _(16_ _th_ _of June by Julian calendar)_

Serbia rides into a stone castle with a solemn expression on her face. Entering through the gate, she is greeted by the ruler's wife Milica (Кнегиња Милица).

"My kingdom, I beg you, tell me what happened? Have we claimed a victory?" she asks desperate for some good news. Serbia dismounts still solemn and shortly replies: "Yes."

The princess is confused. She looks at the few riders accompanying the representative. Their heads are bowed and silent. Her heart stops in dread, seeing a wagon with a casket.

Next scene: After a few hours. Serbia enters her room with princess Milica behind her. They both move slower that usual in a very depressed state.

As Serbia sits searching for something in her small chest, princess Milica sighs. "I should have know something was wrong when Vuk Branković arrived without my husband. The nerve he had demanding that we accept him as the rightful ruler of our lands" she frowns shaking her head.

"Do not blame him too much. He simply believes it is his destiny to rule. Unfortunately, so do the other noblemen. I have never felt such disunity. There is no chance I can defeat such a powerful opponent in such a state" Serbia replies still searching.

Milica scoffs: "The arrogance of them all! The only one who can rule is my son Stefan Lazarević (Стефан Лазаревић). He is sill a minor but with my help..."

The representative, still in her armor, takes out her trading cards and slowly turns to her. "In that case, as my co-boss, I hope you are ready for this difficult decision." The princess' eyes fill with tears as she nods. Serbia takes one of the cards on which we see a pale fair-haired girl with a benevolent expression.

Next scene: The same girl from the trading card steps out of the castle. She sighs and takes a minute before stepping in the chariot prepared for her. Her name is Olivera Lazarević (Оливера), daughter of Princ Lazar (Лазар) and Milica. Serbia pats her hand. "I'm sorry princess. I wish there was another way" she whispers.

The frightened girl looks at her kindly. "No need to apologize, my kingdom. I understand and accept my destiny willingly" she says nodding to the driver to go. "After all, isn't that my duty? To marry whoever would be beneficial for my home and family." The chariot slowly leaves as ordinary people throw rose petals and flowers on the path.

At that moment, as she watches her princess leave to marry Sultan Bayezid I, the one who ordered the execution of her father, Serbia starts to shiver. The realization of the whole system of strategic marriages. Sending young girls far from home, away from everything they know and into the arms of strangers...Something considered normal by all of the representatives. Something she took part in without a second thought.

She scrunches the trade card, puts the other hand over her mouth and lets out a muffled scream.

As we watch the scenery, we hear Serbia narrate: "And that is how I became an Ottoman vassal state...It wasn't so bad at first. A short strategic break. Chance to recuperate before freeing myself...How wrong I was. My servitude lasted centuries. I would be lying if I said that every moment was miserable. It wasn't. But when it got bad, it got really bad. Thank God, those days are over. Now I have new conquerors to worry about."


	101. Chapter 99

_Very current_

It's a sunny afternoon. Serbia is doing some gardening before sitting at her chair to rest. She seems relaxed as she looks at the phone and browses her feed. On the other hand, Croatia paces around his garden extremely anxious. More from a need to share his trouble than a desire to talk to her, he comes near the gate and calls out: "Hey, why are you so calm? Don't you know that there is a global pandemic going on?"

Serbia replies still looking at her phone: "I know. I check the latest news every morning and afternoon."

Croatia keeps staring at her expecting the continuation of the story. "And?!" he at last begins "That's it? The Corona virus, the migrant crisis, the oil wars...And you just sit like a lug and scrawl your phone!"

Serbia frowns. She sighs and turns to him. "Alright" she says with a slightly sarcastic tone "Enlighten me, what should I be doing in this pivotal hour?"

"Well, panic for starters" he says completely serious.

Serbia puffs air out of her nose and shakes her head. "I've got all my people working on it. The number of infected is still sustainable. The people are preparing on their own. Basically, there is nothing left for me to do...What use is panic now?"

"You are unbelievable! How can you be so casual about such serious things?" he says in disbelief. We see her face. She gulps remembering something.

Flashback: 1915. The Austro-Hungarian advances have been repelled. Unfortunately, their soldiers have left a nasty parting gift. Epidemic typhus that has soon spread throughout the army which has, because of poor sanitary conditions, spread to the public.

Next scene: A journalist is in the room of the residential palace. He is interviewing the king. Serbia and a few guards are in the room with them.

"Your Majesty, what can you tell our readers about the typhus situation?" he asks with his pen on a piece of paper. King Alexander (Александар) looks around looking dignified. After half a minute he replies calmly: "Out troops have done a wonderful job and kept our country safe."

The confused journalists ask another question: "I see. And what will the government do about this current situation?" Serbia and the king exchange discrete glances.

"What situation?" the king replies. "Everything is fine" Serbia says smiling.

"The...newspapers are filled with obituaries. Many people have already died" the journalist continues carefully.

The two look at him calm and unresponsive. The guard opens a thick paper so carelessly that the extra papers, filled with black squares falls to the ground. The journalist waits silently for his question to be answered. The king smiles: "I really enjoyed our interview. Unfortunately, we have another appointment. Isn't that right?" he stands up and looks at Serbia. "Yes, we do!" she replies and they say goodbye to the reporter. He leaves the building confused and walks away. The poles outside are covered in black and white rectangle posters with crosses on them.

End of flashback: "I've been through worst and believe me, talking from experience, no good has ever come from making the public afraid" she says and stares at her phone emotionless. Croatia shakes his head, even more nervous than before. "And what about other problems?"

She doesn't reply.

"You really are crazy. I'm gonna find someone sane to talk to" he says angry as he looks around. Everyone else is inside. Montenegro gets out carrying a traditional church banner. He walks around his garden yelling paroles "Only unity saves the church!" over and over again.

Croatia facepalms herself. "You are still at it? Aren't you afraid you will get infected?"

Montenegro stops and answers: "Why worry when I have the power of God by my side?" He then continues his walk.

Serbia smiles and cheers him on: "At a boy bro! You show them."

Croatia's head starts to hurt. He mumbles something and returns to his home.

Next day: A few days later. Serbia is checking the fence. She sees us and says in confidence: "What? Of course, I am doing something about the current situation." She continues fixing the fence moving away. She returns only to say: "But I'm not panicing, okay? There is still no use in that."


	102. Chapter 100

_World Academy W (present)_

A still-shot of the school in the evening. We see the amphitheatre where the Language club is taking place. Today's topic is "How to promote your language".

"Alright then" we see Arthur's head in front of the blackboard "Your 5 minutes are up. Who would like to go next?"

Francis raises his hand eager. He prances to the front and starts. As he talks, the background becomes shiny and bubbly. "How would you like to feel the sea air of the French Riviera? The rebellious spirit of the revolutionaries? Or feel romance in the most beautiful capital in the world?" he asks as students become more and more intrigued. "All the art, history...All the passion is contained in this most magnificent language. Join me in exploring it together!" he says as rose petals cover the screen. Many students are astounded with their eyes turning to little hearts. "Yes" they scream excited.

Francis smiles and winks. He turns to the board, ties his hair into a scrunchy and takes a piece of chalk.

Next scene: "Nous avons, Vous avez, Ils ont" he says in a monotone voice. The students, seeming pretty bored, repeat. "Good, good" he says turning back to the students. We see that he now wears a pair of over-sized black glasses. "And now again, from the beginning" he says in the same monotonous voice.

The students groan. Arthur, who is sound asleep, jerks and wakes up. He clears his throat and adds: "Thank you Francis. Would anyone else like to try?"

Next scene: Antonio stands smiling. "Spanish is a Romance language but that is not important right now. It is a language used by almost the entire South American continent, so if you like fajitas or telenovelas, then Spanish is the language for you!" he says in a charming pose.

"Hey! Telenovelas are my thing" Joe protests. Antonio looks at him and blinks. "Yes but they are in Spanish."

"But I am the one that made it popular. I even convinced Alfred to take it up as a second language" Jose states. "Duos margaritas por favor" Alfred says with a very heavy accent.

"See?" Jose points.

Others clap. "Thank you. Moving on" Arthur says ushering Antonio back to his seat. He frowns but does not say anything.

Next scene: Wang Yao states: "I have two languages actually, but despite that it is still the most spoken language in the world. It's not as hard as it may seem. Learn the basic 100 Chinese characters and you're golden!"

The Asian students nod while the others look at him confused.

Next scene: Lukas is out seeming a little shy. "At first glance, Norwegian may not seem like a popular foreign language to learn but you would be wrong to dismiss it altogether. With the economy in Norway being the way it is, more and more people want to come and work there and knowing the language is very appreciated. So, if you want to understand the land of fjords, oil and magical creatures, consider Norwegian a must-have!" as he states this, his magical friends appear behind him smiling. "Oh and it's also the language of Thor so..." he finishes his presentation seeming more confident.

"Excellent presentation. Let's hear the next one" Arthur says and the others agree. "Would love me some of that oil" Alfred says with a Texas accent.

Arthur raises his eyebrow. He comes closer and quietly asks: "Why on God's earth are you doing?"

"Well, since you have a hold on the English language, I figured I could flaunt some of my local accents, you know what I'm saying?" he answers as a New Yorker.

"Please stop that" Arthur whispers with a big vein popping out of his head.

"Why? Still upset because I spilled your tea" he adds with a Boston accent to which Arthur twitches mad.

He clears his throat and continues in a calm manner: "Moving on?"

A commotion is heard from the seats. "Why can't I go? I want to go. It's my language after all."

A moment later, a hand raises to the protest of a few of his companions. The student in question, walks to the front and starts: "The German language. It may seem scary because of the cases but if you studied Latin, you will easily understand the rules. It has many similarities to other Germanic languages too. However, you do not have to take my word for it. See for yourself." As he finishes, the student with glasses and a neat uniform, looks around. The others listen to him attentively. Some even clap at the end. Most importantly, no one frowns or curses him.

"Thank you Ludwig" Arthur says carefree. He goes back to his seat in a much better mood.

Next scene: "Serbian is a Slavic language and, like most of them, it's relatively difficult to learn. It has seven noun cases, three genders and verb conjugation. Trust me, even if you decide to live in Serbia, a few phrases and some local curse words will be enough" Yasna says completely sincere. Students become excited. They clap and some even make bets on who will learn it faster.

Yasna is genuinely surprised by the reaction.

"Snatching popularity points anyway you can, eh Yasna?" Arthur mocks a little bit through his teeth. Sensing a bad intent, she turns to him.

"Your roots are showing" she says with a friendly smile. The club president gulps. "Roots?" he mumbles trying to seem calm.

"I'm sorry. Silly me! I made a _lapsus lingua_. What I meant to say is 'your horns are showing'" she says in a teasing way. "Hooves too."

Arthur nods just a little acknowledging a warning. Her face stays neutral as she returns to her seat.


	103. Chapter 101

**_End of July 1914._**

Some still-shots of European capitals from that time. The narrator speaks: "Diplomacy and foreign affairs have always been a funny thing. You'd think that governments would send their best and brightest to other countries as a sort of right of passage. An opportunity to show their skills in international affairs in order to qualify for higher functions, if you will. Unfortunately, foreign embassies, especially those of less powerful countries, were usually filled with people deemed unfit to serve in their native country's government but couldn't simple be fired for some reason. Most of them would use and abuse their position to enjoy the 'finer' things in life like gambling, women or illegal accumulation of wealth _(read theft)_.

I mean, why bother? It's not like that could cause problems or anything. The less you care or know about the country, the more you can blame it when things go wrong. Like this whole deal with sanctions on Iran… The country's under lock-down because of a pandemic. Give them a break!

If it was up to me, I'd demean those government officials to a entry level position and make them earn their way back. But who's asking me, right?"

The narrator clears her throat and continues: "But I digress. Anyway, back in 1914, there were a few decent ambassadors in Serbia..."

The scene slowly fades to a room with two dignitaries. An Austro-Hungarian Baron Giesl von Gieslingen and Russian ambassador Nicolas Genrikhovich Hartwig are sitting at a dinner table debating something. They seem to be in very a good mood.

"Well, that settles it then" Hartwig says "I shall inform the Tsar that..." he stops and grabs his chest. His host looks at him confused. To his horror, his guest grabs the table cloth and falls to the floor. He dies instantly as the Barron hovers over him panicking.

The narrator speaks: "Who knows what would have happened if this unfortunate event didn't take place. Perhaps the war would be avoided all together? The Russian government was very keen on supporting its ally, especially the Russian Emperor. Sadly, faith would have it that he would have to show his commitment in the most sever way possible."

Next scene: After the ultimatum. The scene moves to a different, much more lavish room. It is empty as the narrator starts again: "As officials were running left and right to try and avert the crisis, so did the nations get involved."

Serbia barges into the room with Austria calmly following. Hungary is still in the meeting room with other European powers to the request of her husband. They are sent there in hopes they will manage to solve the problem on their own.

"This is ridiculous...Your government has went to far with their demands and you know it!" Serbia yells flustered. Austria stays calm, keeping his distance.

"I honestly do not understand why you are so upset about that particular detail. It is obvious that you lack control. You have secret societies running all over Belgrade."

Serbia paces, pulling her tied collar which kept sticking to her sweaty neck. "Oh, and you want to come in and save the day?!" she continues yelling as she paces the room. "Don't think I'm stupid. I know exactly what your police will do if they are given free range. They'll arrest and hang everyone who even looks at them funny! My internal problems will be the least of their worries."

Austria frowns: "You and your yelling... Seriously, Serbia why do you constantly yell? And such hurtful things too."

Serbia gulp slightly embarrassed. She stops pacing. "What am I supposed to do? You keep doing these horrible things to me? The sanctions, the threats, Bosnia...You keep obstructing my progress at every turn and I can't do anything about it. What else am I suppose to do? Let you walk all over me with a big smile on my face?"

Austria snickers and adds very suggestively: "Oh I don't know. Some humans are into that."

Serbia gawks at him horrified. She gets a bad feeling that makes her heart sink into her heels. Austria takes a few steps toward her. "Speaking of Bosnia" he sighs "It is such a tragedy what happened to his beloved Hercegovina. He was so scared and alone. Luckily, I took him under my wing and did everything in my power to make him feel better. We became quick friends."

His calm demeanour frightens Serbia even more. Austria crosses his hands on his back and looks at one of the pictures on the wall. "He told me a lot of interesting things" he continues "some things I was genuinely surprised about."

She stares at him not even blinking. "Hungary kept hinting at it, but I never believed it. I simply thought that you were a little feminine" he says to which Serbia raises her eyebrow. She becomes serious: "Name any sport or weapon and I'll beat you in it."

"Oh please, is that how you avoided suspicion for so long? You would swing a sword or shoot an arrow well enough?" he says slowly coming closer. She takes a step back very alert.

Austria smirks like a creep and stops very near her. "Come now Serbia. Why so silent? I want to hear you scream" he says. With her heart beating faster, she automatically runs to the first window and jumps out breaking it in the process. He starts hysterically laugh, alerting the others.

The nations quickly enter the room. Noticing that Serbia is no longer there, France looks through the window but still cannot see her. "What did you do? You were supposed to calm the situation down not escalate it" he says annoyed.

Austria holds his stomach still laughing. "It's...it's...not my fault...Serbia can't take a joke" he manages to utter between fits of laughter. The others look outside confused. Serbia runs back home scared and crying.

Next scene: A few days later. Russia's office. He is writing something as Serbia enters. She is in her usual clothes seeming depressed. Russia stops what he is doing and comes to greet his friends.

"What happened? We were looking everywhere for you. It's not like you to run away in such manner" he says worried.

She keeps her eyes locked on the floor. "Aren't you going to reply? What did he do to upset you so?" he continues.

"It doesn't matter now. What matters is that my enemy's mind is fixated on one thing alone - my complete destruction... I will be honest with you my friend. With his army and resources I don't stand a chance..." she pleads grabbing him by the forearm.

Russia smiles: "You don't have to continue. I know exactly what you are going to say." He let's go of her hand and moves to the table picking up a paper. "My boss has already given his consent. In fact I was just finishing this mobilization order when you walked in."

Serbia's face lights up. She runs and hugs him as hard as she can. Russia feels a little awkward because he can feel a certain bump on his thigh but does not want to ruin the moment.

"I knew I was a fool to think otherwise. I'm sorry I ever doubted you" she says happy while Russia makes his trademark smile while a nervous sweat-drop falls from his temple..

"Let's not talk about that. We both have a lot of work to do so..."

"Wait. Before I go, I want to show you something" she interrupts. Russia seems confused but accepts. To his horror, she turns around and opens the top button of her pants putting her hand inside.

Turning back in his direction, he is relieved to see only a pair of black folded socks. As she holds them, almost ceremoniously, Serbia says gulping: "I wanted to tell you before you heard it from anyone else. I'm not actually a boy. I'm a girl."

Russia stares at the pair of socks and starts to chuckle. "To tell you the truth...nothing you do at this point can surprise me" he says still giggling. She smiles and starts to laugh herself.

Next scene: As the frame slowly moves away from the office door down the corridor, we hear them chuckle. "I can't believe you managed to hide your gender throughout the Ottoman rule" he says.

"Yeah, it wasn't easy. I almost got caught a few times. Had to make up some very creative excuses" she says and starts laughing even more. "For example, one time, I..." she starts but we can't hear the rest because we are too far away.

 ** _World Academy W_**

It's late at night. We see Arthur in his room. He tosses and turns mumbling something in his sleep as if having a horrific nightmare.

"Hooves too. Hooves too" echoes in his head. He looks at his arms and is surprised to find himself strapped to a chair. He has a brown striped suit on, making him look much older. He is in a room made from red bricks. There is only one wooden door and it is closed. There is someone leaning against the wall but is covered by a shadow.

"What is happening?" he repeats frantically trying to free himself. The figure stays silent. "I order you to tell me what's going now!" he screams desperate.

The figure slowly moves closer. With each step the shadow moves until we finally see that it is a slender woman in her 20s, with straight brown hair. She is wearing civilian clothes, a white dress with a jersey shirt over it. Her expression is serious, Arthur notices that she looks a lot like Yasna.

"Who are you? Why am I here? Why am I in restrains?" Arthur continues his line of questioning but the woman refuses to answer. She pulls some sort of huge metal funnel from the wall and places it exactly in front of his face. Arthur looks terrified at it and then at her.

She comes closer observing his mouth and starts inspecting it with her fingers. He violently shakes his head but her grab is strong enough to stop him from moving. "Oh, this won't do. It's to small. I may have to disloca..." she says as we hear bones cracking. Arthur screams in pain as she puts the funnel into his mouth. She connects a long plastic pipe to the funnel and moves away.

The pipe moves as something flows through it and we see Arthur's tear-filled eyes widen even more. The figure opens the door and we see the row of manure trucks parked outside. As it flows through the pipe, the figure says calmly: "See this? All of this is your mess made throughout the years. It was about time you cleaned it up."

We hear Arthur's muffled scream and see him wake up covered in cold sweat. He touches his throat and jaw and is extremely relieved finding everything is in its place. Still shaking, he looks around assuring himself that he is in his room. He sits like that on his bed for a long time, not sure what to think or do next.


	104. Chapter 102

_**WWI - after war was announced**_

Serbia dressed in her normal everyday male attire ties a rope around a tree. She has turned her back to the screen not noticing that someone has approached her. "What are you doing?" we recognize Austria's voice. Serbia flinches and quickly turns. Seeing him she smiles and stands up: "Oh hello. Sorry, I didn't expect company."

Austria is in his fine walking outfit. He even brought a cane. "Yes, well, I felt bored with my usual route." He sees the rope and asks: "What are you exactly doing?"

Serbia turns her head towards the tree. "Oh, I'm testing my latest product. Want to see?"

With a raised eyebrow he agrees and Serbia runs to the tree. She pulls on the rope as hard as she can, ripping it out of the ground with the entire root. Austria watches as she raises her arms excited.

"Yes! Perfect!" she yells jumping. He looks at her slightly confused, not saying anything.

Serbia unties the rope and ceremoniously presents it to him. "What do you think? Is it good enough to sell?" she asks. Austria looks at it carefully: "I suppose...Why did you make it. I would have sold you some?"

"Well...I wanted to make it myself. It's not like it's complicated or anything. Figured, pigs and agriculture is alright but the real money is in production" she replies.

Austria is not pleased. "My boy, entering such a field requires skills. I'm afraid industrialisation is still out of your range" he says concerned.

"Strangle my barely existing economy why don't you?" she mutters annoyed. "Don't worry, I'm being careful. But I have to start from somewhere?...By the way, how would you like to be the first person to take this quality rope home?" she says sounding just like a merchant. He looks at it again unconvinced. Serbia gets a little nervous: "You don't have to answer right away. Test it yourself and then tell me."

Austria is still iffy about it. "I'll even throw in a free lunch. What do you say?" she replies. He shrugs and sighs: "If you insist...The usual place?"

"The very same" she says happily tapping his shoulder as they move towards the city.

Next scene: Austria, in a much sportier outfit, is sitting on a fallen tree. He is slouching deep in thought as his hands clench the rope while prompting his chin. Hungary, who is still dressed in maid's clothes approaches him. "Is anything the matter?" she asks.

"The little swine herder makes decent rope...Who knew?" he says still frowning into the distance. Standing up, he gives Hungary the rope as well as an order: "Buy his entire stock. And don't let anyone else know about it."

Confused even more, Hungary nods and watches Austria leave in a very bad mood. She then turns in the opposite direction and is surprised by the sight. All of the trees, roots included, are ripped from the ground. She looks at the rope and at Austria. "Did he do this?" she whispers to herself scared.

End of flashback: End of summer +

1914\. We see Austria in the salon, alone and with a glass of strong liquor, much stronger than his usual glass of wine. He stares straight with a worried expression. Hungary, in one of her many evening dresses, carefully enters the room. She is still angry with him but figures nothing can be achieved by pouting.

She clears her throat to announce her presence. "The troops have been mobilized. They are approaching the Russian boarder as we speak" she says leaning on the door-frame with her hands crossed.

Austria hums still staring at the exact same spot. After a moment or two he asks hesitant: "My dear, do you think...I made a mistake?"

Hungary makes a face. "I don't know my husband. Was declaring a war that would undeniably cause all of the major powers to get involved a mistake?" she answers sarcastically.

He sighs with his lips pressed. "Oh well...it's too late to change anything now" he says taking another sip. Hungary spots and opportunity. She rushes towards him and gently takes his hand sitting next to him eager to say something.

"It doesn't have to be this way. Nothing has happened yet. You can still pull back. Tell the powers that you have changed your mind. Make up some excuse and..." before she can finish he pulls his hand away and turns his head.

"For Heaven's sake Hungary! I can't do that. That will only give them more reasons to ridicule me...If it was with anyone else besides Serbia, I would consider it. This way, if I back out now, I will be cemented as the weakling who let a sly little peasant get the better of him. I would lose my position in the tower for good."

"Look at me" Hungary demands. "If you don't back out now, we will have more serious problems to worry about. This could shatter our entire way of life. Do you have any idea how many young soldiers are preparing for this war? How many guns, tanks and hand grenades are being prepared as we speak? It's the greatest mobilization of force seen in Europe since the Napoleonic wars. Only this time, it's everyone versus everyone else" she speaks with her eyes wide from fear.

Austria turns his head a little to the left a little to the right, avoiding her gaze. "To be honest, I can't stand them. Acting so mighty and holly with their long-winded speeches on how to properly rule over your subjects. Ha! The only reason they have so much wealth is because they robbed everyone else blind. Do you know what they do in their colonies? Those beacons of civilization and prosperity? They kidnap people, put them in ships, transport them half way around the world and then work them to death. Without pay or anything. They make them work until they bleed them dry, and when those people die, they get a new batch because it's cheaper that way" he talks with a slight slur. "But that is acceptable because it is happening away from the public's eye, to people most don't really care about. Rebellions—crushed. Food and shelter—denied. Who lives lives, who dies...well...it's like they never existed in the first place. And what happens when I run into a problematic situation? It's 'Austria is this' and 'Austria is that'. Bla bla bla. Ha ha ha…The nerve of some nations!" he says pouring another glass and drinking it to the last drop.

Hungary listens without blinking. "Then why do you care what they think? We are prosperous in our own right. Don't make us lose that!" she speaks determined to change his mind.

Austria looks at his glass pondering. After a while, he says: "No!"

Before Hungary can say anything, he stands up and turns away. "I don't expect you to understand, but this is a matter of honor. I will not be the first to back down."

"Austria listen. No one wants this war. We all fear what it will bring. I beg you. Say you have decided to resolve the issue in a different way. Say there is no need for it now. Say, the spirit of the prosperous era maintaining the peace will bring has showed you the true path you must take. Say...say anything really. It doesn't matter. Any reason is acceptable at this point. All will be forgotten within a week..."

His angry look makes her stop. "Don't tempt me! You know how I can get when I'm angry" he says through his teeth. Hungary takes a deep breath and carefully nods. "I'm going to sleep now" he says slowly moving towards the door. He stops and turns, making Hungary hopeful.

"Where is the representative of Serbs in our empire? Is she still in prison?" he asks. Not expecting this, she gulps and says yes. Austria is silent for a second. "Tell the guards to let her go. I want to talk to her tomorrow." He then walks out, leaving Hungary to dread in solitude.

 ** _WW1 - next morning_**

SAH is brought into Austria's office with her hands in a lock. She is in her work outfit which is slightly dirty. She looks hungry and in a desperate need of a bath. Austria sends away the multiple guards that brought her in. She looks at the floor scared.

"Have they been treating you well?" he asks in a civil manner.

"For some reason, they forgot to bring me meals" she says looking down.

"I apologize for that. Must have been a misunderstanding" he replies. SAH stays quiet.

"You look terrible. Some fresh air would do you good" he says after a short pause. Moving towards the door he turns and adds: "Come on then. Don't make me wait."

Taking a deep breath, she moves towards him. They leave the room and the door closes.


	105. Chapter 103

_WWI (continuation)_

A carriage passes by Vienna's busy street. Despite the war looming over the head of its inhabitants, no one seemed to be care yet. People in fine clothes, went about their daily business. Street vendors and craftsmen in their shops are working as usual. Restaurant gardens, are filled with people reading newspapers or discussing the same.

Next scene: Inside the carriage, SAH observes these scenes in silence. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Austria's voice is heard. "I guess. Everything seems the same" she quietly replies.

Austria smiles and nods: "Yes...I suppose it becomes difficult to appreciate the allure of something you grew so accustomed to."

His companion doesn't reply. Her hands are free and she has her day-off suit. Austria is dressed in his outdoor best with a fancy walk cane in his hand.

He continues: "Anyway, the reason you are here now is because I wanted to talk to you about something important. As you know, the mobilisation has started and...Well, I realise you might have some issues with it."

"You're damn right I do! You can't send my people to fight with their homeland. Was it really that necessary?!" she snaps at him. Austria plays it cool: "I understand you are attached to...that kingdom but I cannot allow the assassination to go unpunished."

SAH turns her head and smirks at the fact that he will never know the impact she had on the whole situation. Austria says calmly: "I must say, I am slightly disappointed with you. After all the time we spent together, I assumed you at least grew fond of our empire. After all, it is your home." She gulps looking through the window.

"If I may be frank, I always considered you an integral part. Even before you became a sole representative of your people..." he says.

"Is that before or after you cut me out and snatched me away?" she says serious.

"Oh please!" Austria blurs "Stop with the 'we are one' nonsense. You two are nothing alike. You are hard-working and reliable, unlike...that 'thing' who has no control either of the military or the people. They run around doing whatever they want like uncultured beasts! It's a mad house!"

SAH keeps her composure and inhales deeply.

"You belong here. With our cause. With us!" he continues observing her reactions.

He sighs slightly offended: "Perhaps, I was wrong to give you such freedoms. You practised your religion. You were allowed to keep your traditions and develop your culture in your own language. Those are not small things, mind you."

"My people did that. They keep their culture wherever they go" she replies.

"Don't be so naive! Do you think a Serb living in Ukraine or America would stubbornly hold on to it forever? It is forgotten within a generation or so. Most people, including 'your' people, adapt to new circumstances easily. If they already decided to leave home for a land far away, why wouldn't they leave their old habits behind? Most of my own citizens of Serbian decent would tell you the same. They like the comfort and prosperity they have here. Otherwise, they would have already left" he continues persistent.

SAH sighs. Austria says: "As I said, I understand that it is a difficult situation for you... Shall we go back to the palace?"

She nods.

Next scene: In her old room, SAH, finally alone, slowly moves towards the bed. Looking at the windows, she exhales irritated after noticing they are covered in metal bars. "So much about considering me an integral part of the empire" she whispers sarcastically. Sitting on the bed, she ponders what to do next. "I can't believe it...does he actually thinks he can manipulate me in such a way?! Does he think that I don't know how he favours others and turns them against my people?...Still, he is right about one thing. There is no unity in the community. Some are content with the life they have and scoff at the idea of the unified Slav state and others who desire it are scattered into small groups who all want different things. What should I do? Should I stay? Escape? Fight? Who would join me?"

Falling on the bed exhausted, she concludes: "Perhaps, it is best to stay here and watch how things unwind... I can always send money and supplies. It's the least I can do." The scene ends with her falling asleep.


	106. Chapter 104

**_World Academy W (present)_**

In front of a computer classroom students are standing around chatting with friends. Yasna hurries to Wang Yao and Yong Soo who are talking by themselves. "Hi guys. I was wondering if I can do the IT project with you?" she asks smiling.

They look at her. "Oh, are you interested in working with us?" Wang Yao asks in a friendly way. "I intend for this project to be my masterpiece. The programming is going to be next level. Are you sure you can handle it?" Yong Soo adds.

"Yes. If you agree with it that is. I may not be a computer wiz like you, but I'm sure I can be useful and do my part" she says with confidence. The two boys look at each other. Wang Yao shrugs and Yong Soo nods. "Alright. See you in the library tomorrow at recess" Wang Yao says.

"Okay. Sure thing!" Yasna smiles and the two say goodbye.

"I'm gonna get the highest mark for sure" she says happy and almost runs into someone. "Oh, hi Elizabetha. Long time no see" she says still in a good mood. Her friend stares at her suspicious.

"Making friends I see" Elizabetha says with a cold expression. "Why do you ask? Jealous?" Yasna teases. Elizabetha does not reply but walks with her through the hallway. Their next class is in the music room.

Roderich is outside waiting for someone. He waves seeing the girls. Elizabetha waves back.

"Are you two back together?" Yasna whispers. "No. But we do spend time together. Especially now since he is off baby-sitting duty" Elizabetha replies quietly as he approaches.

"Hi" he casually says to Yasna who replies in the same manner and then winks at Elizabetha. She smiles back twirling her hair. Yasna sees this as a sign to leave and enters the classroom slightly confused.

Next scene: Inside is an arrangement of instruments that students are free to chose. That is, if they can get to one first. Yasna looks at the accordion longingly. Maintaining her cool girl image came at a cost. With all the posing, carefree attitude and witty remarks thought off at the spot, she also had to face the fact that certain things are off limits. Such as uncool instruments like the accordion or trumpet. Most of the time she would pick the triangle because not showing effort at all is most times better accepted than being mediocre at something.

Ludwig takes the accordion and goes to his seat alone. Right next to him is Honda with his shamisen. Yasna finds this strange. She cannot remember when was the last time she saw him without his brothers around. "This is new" she thinks with a raised eyebrow and takes a seat. Other students enter. Among them is Veneciano who is crying very openly. Ivan is by his side comforting him. "There, there. You'll get through this" he says to which Veneciano starts sobbing harder. Antonio goes to pick out an instrument but does not feel like playing anything. A teacher, in an outfit that is half clown, half jem-obsessed fortune teller, enters and starts the class singing a melodic "Hello my dears. Let's play the gloom away!" The students murmur and the class continues like any other.

 ** _Before WWI_**

We see a peaceful summer landscape indifferent to the problems people were facing. Over this idyllic scene, the narrator speaks: "It is probably very obvious that Austro-Hungarian Empire and Serbia were never really the best of buddies. In fact, the empire tried multiple times to start a war with its small neighbour. Luckily for Serbia, someone kept it at bay." A chibi Russia pops out and waves. The narrator continues: "Well, yes...But I was thinking of someone else. Sorry. You'll get your turn soon." The chibi pouts and disappears.

Next scene: _During the First Balkan War._ A lavishly decorated office. Prussia answers a fancy looking phone. Young Germany is tinkering with something but we cannot see what. "Mhm, mhm...Alright, I'll see what I can do" he says and hangs up.

"What is it?" Germany asks still occupied with whatever he is doing. "He seems to be having problems with his southern neighbor and wants to crush him. Asked us to join him" Prussia replies nonchalantly. Germany ponders for a second and continues: "What did Bismark say about him?"

"Short version, that it's not worth our troubles" Prussia replies.

"Then there is your answer. And besides Greece and Romania consider him an ally. We should not risk alienating them" the teen replies calmly.

"If that is your decision, I shall respect it. However, Austria did seem furious about the whole thing. Should we go to him and make sure he does not do anything stupid?" Prussia suggests. Germany makes a face not wanting to leave what he started unfinished. "Fine" he says annoyed.

Next scene: _During the Second Balkan War._ Same phone, same office. Same nation screaming into Prussia's ear. "Alright! Alright! I'll talk to him" he says irritated before harshly hanging up. We see Germany's play corner better. He has a tiny plane in his hand and other stuff we cannot see because of the angle. "Something wrong?" he asks his big brother.

"No. Austria's trigger finger is itching again. It seems that all his neighbors are at war and he feels left out." Prussia snickers for a bit and adds: "Actually, I have been missing some action myself. Perhaps, we should help him mop the floor with that tiny pest he keeps nagging about. It's not like it will be a challenge. "

"I don't know. Let's wait a while. Maybe he changes his mind" Germany replies arranging some things.

"Very well" Prussia sighs disappointed.

Next scene: _After the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and the ultimatum._ Same office, same screaming coming from the phone. "Again! You're really getting on my nerves. Mhm, mhm. Yes, the boss did say that but...Yes! Fine! FINE! I'll talk to him!" Prussia yells smashing the telephone down. Germany observes the whole thing. "He hasn't changed his mind, has he?" the boy says.

"No! He is as stubborn as a mule" Prussia replies still angry.

"Alright then" Germany adds calmly. Prussia turns to him confused. The boy shows him his corner, which is completely covered in tanks, planes and toy soldiers. They are all sorted and perfectly aligned with one another into lines difficult to believe were done by hand alone. Prussia looks at it impressed.

"I'm ready" Germany replies calm. Prussia taps him on the shoulder proud.


	107. Chapter 105

**_WWI - July crisis_**

The narrator talks while we watch some nature: "At this time it seemed that most nations have stopped hoping for a miracle and started preparing for a fight. France was one of them..."

We see his head pop-up as he contemplates something.

"Alright, I will build a line of trenches during the entire boarder with Germany" he says observing the area. Belgium timidly approaches.

"Um, Mr. France" she quietly says, visibly worried.

"I will prepared the army and provide them with the best weapons and fabulous new uniforms" he continues not paying attention to her.

"Mr. France" she repeats tapping his back.

"That pesky child will have no chance in defeating my military lines" France concludes satisfied.

"Mr...Mr. France" Belgium repeats louder with her trembling hands crossed.

The French nation turns to her and says annoyed: "What is it little one? Can't you see I am busy?!"

"It's just...I...you see..." she stutters visibly scared and pointing with her finger to the east.

"Bah! I can't understand you when you talk like this. Go away. Can't you see I am trying to come up with a defence plan from Germany?!" he scoffs and leaves deep in though. Belgium calls out again but her voice breaks. Still trembling, she looks over her shoulder and sees young Germany in full military uniform holding a gun. He stands menacingly still as his eyes glow red.

Next scene: Over the channel. In his living room, Britain quietly sips his tea. He is startled out of his seat hearing Belgium scream.

 _ **World Academy W**_

In front of the First Aid class. A commotion is heard. Two students walk out. One of them holds the door yelling extremely angry. "Oh yeah! Well if you weren't so busy making snappy remarks instead of working on your healthcare, you wouldn't be in this mess!" Wang Yao yells with a vein popping out. The student standing 2 meters away is Bhart. He is wearing a protective mask and gloves.

"Whatever, teachers pet!" a male voice sarcastically adds from the classroom before the teacher tells him to stop. Wang Yao slams the door and they head to the projector room.

"I can't believe how some people react in such situations? Panicking causes frantic behavior which makes everything ten times worse! Let the problem settle! Then come up with crazy conspiracy theories" he complains to his silent companion.

Bhart not responding does not stop him one bit. "Like you for example. What you are doing now is good, but I really don't think you'll catch the disease here" he continues.

"You can never be too sure of that" he replies through the mask.

On the way to get the requested projector, they meet Malahi Ngotel who came out of class to go to the bathroom. "It's you? It was your bat soup that made me into a meme" Wang Yao points seeing her. She stops visibly confused. Bhart feel sick from even thinking about it.

"Why are you blaming me? I have a tone of delicious food. It's not my fault people found an old video and thought it was weird" she replies. Wang Yao, still frustrated, answers: "Of course they did! Who in the world has ever heard or eating bats! That's disgusting!"

"Since when are you such a prune? Don't you eat stuff like chicken legs, bird's nests, snakes and things like that?" she replies offended. Bhart feels dizzy. His eyes roll back into his head.

Wang Yao crosses his arms, ready to say something as the masked boy next to him falls on the floor. The two look at him concerned.

His eyes have turned into twirly lines. "This is why I don't eat meat" we hear him think.


	108. Chapter 106

_**WWI – month of July**_

The small familiar village. All of the strong young men have answered the countries call to join the army without hesitation. Their female family members as well as the young and the weak were saying their goodbyes. Here and there you can hear a woman crying, but mostly people are talking quietly.

A very young girl, maybe not even 16 yet, is audibly sobbing making everyone around her uncomfortable. Her husband, looking equally immature, takes her to the side and wraps his arms around her. "Don't cry. Don't you see that this is my duty?" he whispers into her ear. The young girl buries her head into his chest still crying. "No, it's not. You're not even of age yet. Why do you have to leave me?!" we hear her muffled reply.

"Hush! Someone might hear you...Now, while I'm away" he says and she starts sobbing again. The boy gently hold her head and quickly kisses her cheeks, nose, forehead and finally lips. The girl calms down. "Be good to my parents when I'm away. They love you like a daughter. And help my sisters with the chores" he says more as a request than an order. His wife wipes her tear-stained face and nods.

"I will. And you keep away from promiscuous women. Promise me that" she says pointing to his face. The boy chuckles and rolls his eyes. "Don't laugh. Don't force me to bound you with a curse. You know how powerful a girl's curse is. Especially if injustice is done to her" she says serious.

The boy slowly nods and they hug again. He then takes his father's gun and joins the rest of the village men. The girl wipes her face with her handkerchief and joins the other family members.

Next scene: A simple room made of white plaster. The strong but shy man watches his wife prepare his bag in complete silence. Their two children stand watching them both, not completely understanding the whole thing. When she finishes, they all go outside.

The woman grabs her stomach and makes a face. "Are you alright?" he jumps to grab her hand. "Yes. Just a strong kick" she says with a neutral expression. "Here, I packed you three pairs of woolen socks and a chicken for the trip" she says giving him the bag.

Her husband takes it and says: "I'm sorry I won't be here for the birth. But fatherland is calling. The baby knows I'll be fighting for him."

The wife bows her head.

"I do this for you and the children. You understand that, don't you?" he says touching her timidly.

She turns her head so he won't see the scornful face she made. She sighs and composes herself. "Yes. Please keep yourself safe. May God protect you." Her husband smiles, kisses her and the children. He gets out and waves walking towards the men. His children's godfather is among them.

The group heads to the nearest city walking and singing together. Their loved ones wave.

The pregnant woman, seeing his back finally let's her emotions go. "Mom, when is dad coming back?" the boy asks. In her head, she answers: "Never. Your father is never coming back because he is too kind and gentle for this world. He'll probably die saving a stranger or a stray cat..." She quickly covers her eyes to stop the tears.

Her children look at her scared. "I don't know honey. Now, let's show them off, alright?" she says with a tight-lip smile. They all wave, watching the men leave. Seeming smaller and smaller they eventually disappeared from sight.

 _ **WWI – Battle of Cer**_

Two nations stand on mountain tops. They seem grander than usual. Austria on one side and Serbia on the other, in their military uniforms stare at each other without blinking. The wind blows through their hair announcing a storm.

Austria extends his arm into her direction. Folding the little and the ring finger, he 'fires' his finger gun making a bullet sound. Serbia inhales through her nostrils and clenches her gun even harder. It's time for the battle to start. They both scream charging.

Next scene: After the battle. Austria, in a torn and damp uniform, walks into his palace. He trudges towards the first armchairs and plants his body into it. His servants and Hungary quickly notice and gather. They all look puzzled at his emotionless expression.

On the other side, Serbia not looking any better enters her salon where Montenegro and the girl, who liked to be called Macedonia, are eagerly waiting for her. She sits down tired, grabbing her head. The two nations look at each other. "What happened?" the girl asks.

"We won" she says raising her head to reveal a 'can-you-believe-it' smirk.

Next scene: Austria's sad face covers the screen: "The plan was so clever. Make them believe that we will come from the north and then hit them over the Drina river."

Next scene: Serbia's face is seen while she tells her part of the story: "Not gonna lie, he had us scratching our heads. The men needed to be spread all over the boarder."

Next scene: Austria continues: "I wanted to be there myself. My general said that it will be an easy victory. I was eager to go and strangle the little cross-dresses myself."

Next scene: Serbia says: "When it was certain that the attack will come from Drina, all of my forces had to quickly run east. They were exhausted from the long march and outnumbered. Luckily, the Austro-Hungarian's divisions had difficulty crossing the mountainous terrain."

Next scene: Austria says holding his face: "The cowards attacked in the night. A terrifying storm hit. As if the sky had opened. You could barely see your hands, let alone your enemy."

Next scene: Serbia says: "It took a few days of intense fighting but we managed to chase away the enemy soldiers from the area and continued to retake the occupied cities."

Next scene: Austria: "It was humiliating. The soldiers panicked and retrieved in the most disorganised way. That damn general ruined everything. He didn't have the slightest idea what he was doing!"

Next scene: Serbia laughs: "You should have seen Austria's face when his men scattered all over the place. They couldn't even find the river."

Next scene: Austria sighs: "And then..."

Next scene: Serbia smiles: "And then..."

Next scene: Faces of all listening saying in unison: "And then?"

Next scene: Austria, his uniform badly damaged looks around traumatised. His soldiers are running towards the river with their enemy firing at them. He stand near the bank not sure what to do. A cold cylinder stabs his back. It's Serbia's rifle.

She smirks, watching the nation too scared to turn around. "Send my regards to the palace" she says sarcastically. She pushes him with her weapon harder yelling a loud: "BANG!"

The terrified Austria jumps and starts swimming. She observes the whole thing as her men cheer and taunt.


	109. Chapter 107

**_World Academy W – some time ago_**

We see a still-shot of the school followed with some images of a pleasant looking neighborhood with a row of two-story houses with a similar garden and fence. Yasna's voice narrates as we zoom in on her window: "Can't say I enjoyed staying home that much. I was not allowed outside and the news was depressing. Luckily, I had a lot of time to work on my music taste."

Next scene: We see the teenage girl singing from the top of her lungs: " _Двеста на сат...у у кривину! Двеста на сат! Обожавам ту брзину!_ " Her walls are covered in posters or turbo folk stars. She is jumping, raising her hands in some sort of fist pump. Her very flashy sweatsuit rustles over her very plain leggings and shit. She wears dark sunglasses, even though it is night and she is inside.

Her brother, enters the room with a neutral expression. He approaches her slowly. Yasna finally notices company and stops dancing. They stare at each other for a second until Šćepan puts on his sunglasses. " _Двеста на сат! Ко ће брже, ко ће боље! Двеста на сат! Лудујемо све до зоре!_ " they shout together jumping around the room.

Next scene: Downstairs. Their mom and dad are watching TV in the living room. They can clearly hear the noise coming from her room. "Hey! You kids settle down" she yells as she gets a broom to knock on the ceiling. Their dad calmly sips his can of beer still watching the program.

Next scene: Next morning. Yasna and Šćepan are standing in front of the school entrance. All the other students are casually minding their own business. Yasna looks up nervous. "I don't know if I'm ready for this? What if I get bullied again?" she says worried.

"In good, being good is easy. Troubled times, bring out the heroes _(_ _У добру је лако добар бити. На муци се познају јунаци)_ " Šćepan says calmly. Yasna sighs: "Well, when you put it that way..."

Ivan slowly trudges towards them. He is a mass. Not only did he lose a lot of weight, but he also stopped caring about his health and his uniform. He waves to them barely keeping his head straight. Šćepan waves back and moves towards him, leaving Yasna behind.

"Hey, where are you going? Classes are about to start" she asks curious.

"Oh, the two of us are going to...train for the school sport competition" Šćepan says with a teasing chuckle.

She stares at her big brother disapprovingly: "You're going to get plastered on some home-made cr*p in the park, aren't you?

Šćepan's hair rises into spikes. "Hey! Don't be so judgmental. It's not like you never do it!"

Yasna shushes him hopping no one heard him. The two boys leave as she ponders for a second more whether to enter or not.

Next scene: In the hallway, while walking she notices a few students glancing at her. Some frown, some whisper among themselves but no one says anything to her directly. Seeing an angry looking Alfred coming her way, she flinches but is immediately relieved when he walks by her shouting some threats to Amir Gilgamesh.

Next scene: At Industrial arts class. The class is busy making modal building out of wooden sticks. Aaron Harbia, a surprisingly good builder for someone from the Sahara, is building a tower so tall that he had to stand on the desk to finish it. Yasna is talking to the teacher as we see the rest of the class in the background. "You can't be serious?! How am I supposed to do that much work in such a short amount of time?" she asks the teacher astounded.

"Well Ms. Petrović, you should have worried about that before you took your little break" the teacher, a middle aged man in a this schools standard teacher uniform says unemphatically. She frowns as we see Aaron almost finishing his piece when realizing that some of the other have the same idea. He quickly adds a few more stories.

"And about this...piece. Would you mind telling me why you made it look like it went through an air raid" he says pointing at a model of a building that resembles her Ministry of Defense building.

"It's a statement" she says serious. In the back, Aaron finishes his building and looks around satisfied. Just for some extra measure, he adds an antenna and observes his work pleased.

Next scene: At the doctor's office. The doctor is holding a flashlight directly into her eyes. Yasna flinches in pain from the bright light. He hums loudly deep in thought. It may seem stereotypical, but the school doctor had the appearance of a genuine witch doctor. Even though, he wore a usual white coat and equipment, the holes where various objects used to pierce his very wrinkled face were still very visible. He would usually chant while giving the simplest prescriptions and no one really understood some of his healing methods. The nurse, a Native American woman, is quiet as usual. Some students assumed she can't talk at all. She has a nurses uniform, only except a little hat, she has a long pen placed behind her ear to resemble a feather.

"Why do you keep coming here? There is nothing wrong with you child!" he says concluding his examination. "Um, well the school counselor told me to check with you if I'm ready for school or not" the student says. The nurse brings him Yasna's chart. He flips it scumming it quickly. "Yes..been absent for some time, I see. Better go on a diet. All that mama's cooking must have made you fat" he laughs. We see the girl dumbfounded and skinny as ever. She leaves the office as every student left it before - baffled and developing a light headache.

 _ **World Academy W - even more time ago**_

We see the school doctor running somewhere chanting. His nurse is in front of him looking worried but determined. They both carry a stretcher on which a frail girl with curly dark hair is placed. She is covered in blood. The nurse, slams a door open and they gently place a stretcher on the floor. The only object in the room is a huge mirror with an extremely heavy gold frame.

The doctor keeps chanting placing his hands over the girl's head. In the middle of the chant he yells: "Hurry up! I can't keep her with us for much longer!"

The nurse does something to the mirror and it starts glowing bright blue. Gal, the mortally wounded victim of the shootout, is lying showing almost no signs of life. The two take her to the mirror and push her in. Still bleeding, the unconscious girl disappears into the bright blue light.


	110. Chapter 108

_WWI_

A small printing shop in Vienna. The machines are diligently working as the big rolls of paper turn. A familiar black carriage, beautifully decorated, passes by the shop. A young man, probably in his late 20s, glances at it as he chops the paper into smaller bits. He is one of two apprentices there. The second, about the same age, is checking the main machine. The owner of the shop, an older gentlemen with glasses, sits at his desk reading the newspaper as usual.

"Ha! Our troops will soon head south. And with such modern equipment! We will win the war quickly and our boys will be home by Christmas" the older man says excited.

The man next to the main machine chuckles shaking his head. He comes over to the other apprentice and whispers: "A week ago, he called the whole thing a road to disaster. Now he is cheering it on like it is a sport's event. Talk about the power of the press."

His friend nods making a side smile. He takes one of the card they have been making. It is of a large hand crushing the imp-like creature in a Serbian national attire with the words "All Serbs must die!"

"I mean, I feel for the young men in that God-forsaken country, but they will be better off without their corrupt government" their boss continues with his eyes still glued to the latest article on the empire's military might.

"Yeah, it's not like they'll die or anything" the first apprentice says sarcastically. The other keeps staring at the card. "Have the recruiters visited you yet?" the first continues.

"Yes" the young man shortly replies with a neutral expression.

Next scene: At a decent upper-middle class estate. The very same young man packs his belongings.

An older woman is crying along with two younger ones. "Please don't cry mother. You are only making this worst" the man says calmly moving towards the front entrance.

"How can I be calm?! You are going to war. And with Serbia?! How could they send you there knowing your ancestry? This whole thing is madness!" she says through tears. And older man, equally shaken, tries to comfort her: "There is nothing we can do, my dear. He needs to answer the call of the emperor."

"Oh stop it! Can't you call some of your influential friends to find him a nice clerk position?" she yells. The young man puts his hand on her shoulder, calming her down.

Seeming completely relaxed, he hugs his family goodbye and walks out.

Next scene: After the battle of Cer. We see him again in full Austro-Hungarian uniform being completely still. His comrades are all running in the opposite direction. The Serbian soldiers are gaining on them. Two of them aim their gun at him bellowing: "Drop your weapon! On the ground!"

He does so calmly, and slowly raises his arms. "Don't worry! I'm one of you" he says smiling.

End of flashback: "And that is how I got here, your Majesty" the same man, now in Serbian uniform tells a group of dignitaries. "Interesting" Serbia in her best uniform says. With her is the old king along with his sons and the royal guard. They have come to the camp in order to boost the moral.

Walking around, the old king comments the random soldiers with the nation. "What is that young boy doing there?" the king asks in shock. We see the boy in question, roughly 8 years of age, sharing food with a group of soldiers. Outraged, king Peter I calls for the boy.

"What is your name little one?" he asks the saluting child.

"Momčilo Gavrilović (Момчило Гавриловић) your Majesty" he replies.

"Tell me why are you here? This is no place for a child."

"Please, your Majesty, don't make me leave! The enemy soldiers have killed my family. I have nowhere to go" the boy cries.

The king's white moustaches twitch. He swallows the bitter ball forming in his throat. Mumbling something to the officer next to him, the king excuses himself complaining of a sudden headache. The boy is allowed to return to his friends.

"My poor boss. He is too old to endure such tragedies. I don't see why he had to return from retirement" the nation sighs.

"If I may be frank, my Kingdom. I assume it is because he is still very popular among the people" her assistant says.

"Thank you, for sharing that bit of exposition with us" she says sarcastically. "Well, it is why I am here, your Kingdom" the assistant adds with a bow. She smirks and continues observing the troops.

After a while she continues: "There is a decent amount of different dialects. Some I recognize hearing in the empire. Have they also changed sides like that young soldier we talked to earlier?"

"More or less, my Nation. Some came right after the war was announced by transport. Others were mobilized and deserted later. I can almost imagine it... Running from bullets of your former comrades to join the opposing army. Not knowing which side's bullets will reach you first. That, is called heroism" the assistant says as if daydreaming.

She chuckles amused: "I see you have a flair for the dramatic." The man bows his head. "It's alright. I like melodrama too. Especially in novels. However, in real life I often find it unnecessary. Heroes are all who joined us because of our just cause. Not just those who had a theatric entrance" she adds.

A group of Czech and Slovak volunteers* pass and salute them. The most famous of them being František Krištof.

 _ ***{Most of them will later form the Czechoslovak legion.}**_

"It is nice to see they too are with us. I wonder how their representatives feel about it?" Serbia says. "Thrilled, hopefully" her assistant replies.

Soon after they notice general Pavle Jurišić Štrum (Павле Јуришић Штрум), known in his youth as Paulus Strum. They greet with a salute. "What have you gotten yourself into old man? I bet giving order's to German lines seems pretty tempting right now" Serbia jokes.

The general smiles and replies in kind: "Wouldn't miss this for the world my kingdom."

Parting, Serbia continues along with her secretary. "I'm happy to see that we are not alone. Sadly, I don't think this would be enough" she says. "With Gods help, there will be more of them" he says.

They head back to join the others. Next on the list is a visit to the wounded and the brave doctors and medical nurses taking care of them. Very soon, they will be joined by nurses from Western Europe, especially Scotland.

On their way, they see a soldier with a strong jaw line and equally strong physic pass by. The nation cannot help but notice that some parts seem a bit out of place for a man. She very noticeably stares into the young soldier making her companion nervous.

"Is something wrong? Do you suspect him of being a spy?" he asks. She does not reply right away.

"Go now. I need to do something" she says serious. Her assistant obeys and leaves her to deal with the matter.

Next scene: The same person, wanting to go to the bathroom, looks around. Believing to be alone, the soldier flinches hearing a voice: "If I may give you some advice...You should tighten your chest more. The hump next to your left rib is very noticeable."

The soldier checks and covers it embarrassed. "My kingdom, please don't tell anyone...I have fought for you in both Balkan wars. I..." she tries to say but the nation shushes her.

"It's alright. The two of us have the same secret. There are two more like us hiding here somewhere" Serbia adds relaxed. The woman in uniform looks stunned. "What is your real name?" Serbia continues.

"Milunka Savić (Милунка Савић), my Nation" the woman answers.

"Well soldier, carry on. I apologize for startling you in such a way" Serbia says. They salute and she leaves the woman alone to do her womanly things in piece.

 _Well that was a very convenient and informative walk. Still, you get the point, right?_

 _P.S. The first person is not based on a real person but has elements of things real people did._


	111. Chapter 109

_**WWI-before the second wave**_

The Austro-Hungarian palace, the hallway near the main entrance. Bosnia and Croatia are there in blue uniforms holding their guns. Austria and Hungary come to inspect them. They are wearing their ceremonial uniforms but only Hungary has a weapon. Austria inspects the two nations, adjusting buttons, removing hairs and taking care of any little detail that is out of place.

"I heard that your boys got a little reckless with the enemy's civilian population. Apparently many were killed and tortured" the empire says calmly. The two gulp and start mumbling: "Well, um...You see..."

"I don't mind. Such is the nature of war. However, I would appreciate it if you tell them to save that voracity for their enemy's on the battlefield as well" he says calmly.

They all stand for a moment. Austria faces the door. He takes a deep breath and simply utters: "Onward." They all leave with ominous music starting to play.

Next scene: Still-shots of a landscape destroyed and left desolated. Fires, gunshots and distant shouting. Over that the narrator talks: "Such IS the nature of war. Out of the Four Horsemen, War prefers humans the most." We see their shadows as War's horse steps out. He is a skeleton covered in a black cloak with a large shiny weapon.

The narrator continues as the frames follow her monolingual: "While the other three hover over all Earth's creatures, bestowing their affection without discrimination, War loves nothing more than spending time among us, especially among young fit men. From an early age, he watches over them like a lurker waiting for a chance to present himself. He delights in children's war games and the inability of their innocent young minds to understand his influence over them.

He does not do it because he is evil. Not in the way we see it. For millennials, people needed to defend themselves from all kinds of dangers. He provided his services willingly, not distinguishing whether the violence was justified or not. Protecting your families from hostile invaders or attacking a nearby kingdom for not having the same king – it did not matter."

We see a young soldier breathing heavily, not ready to storm into battle. A bony hand caresses his worried face, giving him strength and courage. The young man smiles at the figure and charges screaming. The figure watches him run arms ready.

"Yes, War really loves us. Almost as much as we love him. That is why he always eagerly comes whenever called to open the door of his chambers" as the narrator concludes the screen turns and we see War move his robe to reveal a typical unfiltered battle with all the horrors it entails. _(any time-period will do)_

Next scene: Boarders of AHE and Serbia. The men in blue uniforms run down from a hill screaming as if possessed. Austria appears behind the hill, becoming larger and larger.

"Go, go, my soldiers. Fight! Show those uncultured peasants how mighty our empire is. Show them the strength of our civilized and prosperous nation. Of our glorious and righteous land" Austria speaks spreading his arms. We see an enormous number of tiny tassels forming a line from the armpits to the end of the sleeves. Looking closer, we see each one is actually a small hung human dressed in civilian clothes.


	112. Chapter 110

_WWI- fall of 1914_

Morning. A modest church surrounded by green hills. Inside, after the morning service, a row of women, all with head covers, all standing next to each other perfectly still, whisper prayers. They have lit a candle for their loved one's who are fighting, pleading for their safe and victorious return.

In that row of similar looking women, we recognize the mother of three. Next to her is her neighbor, wife of her children's godfather. The extremely earnest prayers of an older sickly-looking woman near them catches their attention. They look at each other and roll their eyes. As the two leave the church, they see her walking slouched, weak and deep in though. The godmother remarks almost scornfully: "For God's sake, she's been fasting ever since the men have left."

"Yes...A lot of good that will do" her companion replies sarcastically.

Next scene: That same afternoon. The small familiar house in a village. The sky is clear and sunny. The mother is outside knitting with another woman. There is a letter on the table. The younger one, still in her teens, looks at it and says: "I can't wait to see my husband. I wonder if he missed me? Are you ready for tomorrow's trip?"

"Yes" the older replies. The 6-year-old girl comes out of the house and whispers: "The baby is sleeping. Can I go and play?"

"Of course dear. Go find your brother and make sure he doesn't get into trouble" her mother replies quietly. The girl runs out of the gate while her mother watches her silent.

"Such a sweet child" the younger one says. "Are you sending her to school?"

"Not yet. I wanted to but this damn war happened. But I did teach her how to read. We practiced on her father's letters" the woman replies.

The teen shakes her head glancing at the letter: "I still can't believe you didn't know how to read before you got married."

Her hostess exhales through her nose: "Sadly, yes. My parent's didn't think it was necessary for me to know such a skill. They would say that if I needed to know how to read or write, my husband would teach me."

Her friend shrugs: "It's unfair but what can you do. It so by tradition."

"Tradition. It is such a heavy word to have define our existence. It's easy to forget that we are all just human beings, with different destinies, trying to live our lives the best way we know how..." the woman says.

"I'm happy that at least here things are more lenient. Every skill is appreciated if it brings value to the community. It must be because we are close to a city" the teen replies finishing a large black sock, not really understanding what her friend has implied.

The hostess smiles. She cannot say that all the women here liked her, but she was appreciated for her cow cheese and clothes-making skills. Young wives were sent to learn her techniques and brought her gifts in food which made her life alone with three children a little easier. A baby's cry is heard from the house. She goes and brings it out in her arms. The teen coos at the 3-month-old.

"I should be going now. I still haven't prepared everything for tomorrow" the younger woman says kissing the baby's tiny hand.

"Alright. See you. Send my regards to your in-laws" her friend replies.

Next scene: Tomorrow morning, a group of women with children and large bags gathers on the dusty street. They have decided to pay a visit to their husbands who were still in garrisons and bring them much needed supplies and comfort. Some have their older sons carry the bags, some have mules while others have to carry the heavy supplies by themselves.

The mother gets her three children ready. They join the group and begin their two-day-walk to their loved ones.


	113. Chapter 111

**_WWI_**

Blank dark space. Bosnia in his AH uniform looks disoriented and scared. He keeps hearing sounds as if fragments of male voices but they disappear as fast as they appear. "Hello?" he mutters insecure. Taking a few steps, he sees Serbia, in her medieval armor with her hair tied back and her head bowed.

When the frame turns back to Bosnia, he is wearing a similar outfit and is holding a sword. "Why are you aligning with our enemy? Join me and we can be victorious together" he states extending his hand.

She stays quiet for a while before saying: "I'm sorry, but I'm too weak to fight."

"What?" he replies astounded "You can't. I need you. I can't fight him alone."

The grim beaten kingdom replies: "I've already made a choice, for better or for worse. I must buy time. I must grow stronger."

Bosnia becomes enraged with his hand still extended: "Stop saying that! We can win—together!"

She raises her head. As we watch the pain in her eyes, she says: "He cannot be beaten now. It's hopeless."

The Ottoman figure slowly approaches. He observes Bosnia from Serbia's shoulder. Bypassing her, he glides over to him and places his hand over Bosnia's face. For a second, everything becomes green.

Bosnia is now in his medieval room angry as a bull. Steam comes out of his nostrils as he starts destroying everything inside. From the table and chairs to the Bible and sacred relics. We see him hacking away. For some reason, the blade of his weapon turns red with blood.

"What are you doing?" we hear a female voice mid his scream. Recognizing it, he stops and turns. Herzegovina, in a beautiful dress that looks as if it was made from star dust, stares at him judgingly.

"You're back!" he exclaims smiling and rushes towards her.

"What are you talking about?" she replies. "I'm always here."

"No" Bosnia says "You were shot and there was no way to bring you back..."

"I said... I am always here" Herzegovina interrupts tapping at his chest. Confused, Bosnia looks down.

Next scene: He opens his eyes, dazed for a moment. Very soon Bosnia realizes he is in the A-H military camp with the other representatives.

"What am I doing?" he starts to think. "I don't belong here. This is not my fight. I should go home."

As soon as this though appears, Bosnia feels a strong brain cloud. He massages his temples, feeling strange. After a minute or two, he discards his previous idea as a passing thought and goes back to bed.

 _ **World Academy W— some time ago**_

The familiar hallways with lots of students. We see the main protagonist come up to her locker. We hear her narrate as she opens it:

"Dear Diary,

It has been a few weeks since I returned to school. I cannot say I felt welcomed." _(A scene_ _of her walking into a classroom clenching her books near her chest. The other students glance at her and instantly turn their heads avoiding any further eye-contact. She slowly walks to her seat and awkwardly looks around the room not finding anyone to talk to.)_

"Still, not everything is lost. Some do show they care – or at least sympathize." _(We see the inside of her locker. There are a few nectarines and a few small but delicious croissants. She discretely smiles and takes them.)_

"I see my brother less and less. It seems that he simply vanished as soon as we enter the school. As for my former BFFs, well...Some of them can be extremely annoying..." _(In the cafeteria, she sits at their shared table. We hear the sound of loud farting. With a confused expression, she pulls out a Whoopee cushion from under her. The others_ _burst out laughing_ _. As they laugh, she looks straight with a neutral expression.)_

"Most of the time I do not even know how to respond. So I just pretend nothing happened and continue with my business."

She closes her locker behind which Časlov is standing. "Hey there. You didn't tell me earlier how you liked my new toy. Wasn't it a blast?" he says with a confident smirk.

"Yeah sure. Really got me good" she says as plainly as possible and moves towards her next class. He comes with her and continues after a few steps: "So, guess who got invited to become the member of the EU club."

"Who?" she says almost robotically.

"Me!" he declares excited. "I'm so happy I could cry!"

"That's nice" she says and continues walking. Časlov frowns and blurts: "No need to be so jealous. I only wanted to share the good news."

She turns and answers very carefully: "Um okay."

He stares at her, getting more and more angry. "Well, fine then! Shame on me for thinking you would be supportive. It's not like you'll ever join" he says and storming off.

Yasna sighs and mumbles under her breath: "What a nutcase."

"You said it" she hears a male voice and abruptly turns. She can only see Mattew staring in the same direction. "Sorry" he adds after noticing her gaze and nervously looks around.

"Oh, hey Arthur" he energetically waves to his big brother and hurries towards him. Yasna shrugs and continues walking taking a bite of her croissant. "And that is, my dear diary, how I spent another day and the prestigious World Academy W." She sighs finishing her mental note.

Next scene: Arthur and Mattew walk pass Allistor and Ciaran. As they move away Allistor inhales angry: "God how I hate him."

"Be quiet. He might hear you" Ciaran shushes him.

"What do you mean 'be quiet'?! How can you say that after everything he's done to you?" Allistor retorts.

"Oh...I know. I just don't think it's a good idea to make him angry" his companion replies scared.

Scotland scoffs. He continues leaning in: "You know what I like to do? Whenever I'm stressed and need some relief, I imagine that I..." (the scene fades into the next very vivid scene)

Next scene: We see Arthur walking out of the school alone. Allistor creeps up behind him and slams him on the lawn. We see Arthur frantically trying to free his hands which are pressed by Allistor's legs. The boy on top, grabs a hand full of dirt and pushes it violently into Arthur's mouth. He keeps repeating that action with zest as we watch his eyes go red. "Do you like that?! Huh! And this! How about this!" he bellows. We hear Arthur struggling. Allistor continues clearly enjoying every second of it.


	114. Chapter 112

_WWI – December of 1914_

The inside of a humble building. The frame focuses on a heavy dark brown door of a white painted room. Serbia enters in a hurry with the sounds of battle following her inside. She holds the door breathing heavily. "Have the supplies come? I need them immediately" she huffs holding her hat.

The frame moves and we see a group of soldiers observing the large amount of shells. They are all in a state of quiet panic. Serbia notices and raises an eye-brow.

"There seems to be a problem with the sent shells. They are too long to be used with our cannons" one of them finally speaks.

These words hit her like an ice storm. "What?" she says covered in cold sweat.

Next scene: At a bustling metal work shop. Metal shards fly everywhere as men try to shorten the excess 2.5 mm of the projectiles. Serbia is there modifying them as well. A few new individuals run around behind her hectic, helping out. Their clothing is either brown, cream, grey or white. Their sleeves are usually cream or white with dark rectangles on them. Grinding her teeth under extreme pressure, Serbia cusses everything under the sun as she works, handing over one shell after the other.

Someone rams the door. They all flinch. It gets rammed again, this time harder. All present inside the workshop start working even faster.

Hit with heavy blow after heavy blow, the door flies open and the 3 representatives of AH storm in with weapons in hand. The sounds of war roar from the outside. Their charging expression turns into confusion as they notice Serbia aiming a cannon and fired projectile flying straight at them.

Next scene: A few days later. We see the frame slowly moving through majestic grand halls of the Austro-Hungarian Imperial Palace to the Beethoven's Moonlight sonata. From the shiny floors to the lavish chandeliers and picturesque ceilings, everything inspires awe. The frame slowly moves to one of the salons covered in golden curlicue decorations. There, Austria plays the aforementioned piece on the black concert piano very close to some heavy red curtains. Prussia, Germany and Hungary all sit at a large table in deep somber. They are all in their military uniforms. Germany seems to be enjoying the music. However, Prussia quickly loses his temper.

"Could you stop playing that damn thing for one second! We have to discuss our next move" he snaps. Austria does so smashing the piano keys and looks at him annoyed.

"Now, what exactly happened?" Prussia asks.

"Well" Hungary starts uneasy. "Everything seemed fine at first. The enemy forces have withdrew, leaving the capital defenceless. I was sure of our victory and was looking forward to joining Austria in Belgrade."

"Wait, you weren't with them on the battlefield?" Germany raises his head towards him. Prussia covers his face with his hand as Austria nervously clears his throat.

"There was no need for that, I was completely convinced that my dear wife would sort everything. Besides I have sent more than enough servants to do my biding" he explains.

Prussia groans and asks: "And then?"

We see Austria's face and move to a flashback.

Flashback: He stands in one of the rooms of the Belgrade palace, ceremoniously dressed. A human servant brings him his drink on a silver tray. As he takes the crystal glass, it shatters as wine and shards cover his gloved hand. He moves aback startled. His eyes turn towards the window as he quickly zooms towards his battalions. He can clearly see the battle. The refreshed Serbian army is charging. Their canons roar as his soldiers retreat. In the middle is Serbia still holding her gun, a gift from France, in a firing position. She stares back at him, straight into his eyes.

End of flashback: "And now we are here" Austria concludes. Germany, abruptly stands and starts pacing the room. "This entire humiliation is your fault! If you haven't declared war none of this would have happened!" he yells.

Austria exhails annoyed: "As I already told you dear brother, I had to punish the ones who organized the assassination of my archduke."

"Is that why you waited 3 weeks after his death to send an ultimatum?" Germany replies.

"I don't remember you complaining. You were the first nation to attack" Austria retorts.

Prussia stands up: "Brothers, brothers, calm yourselves. Yes, this war was caused by your impulsive decision to attack a neighboring country without any real evidence for your claims. But, in all honestly, so were many others. If we waited around for a legitimate reason to invade someone, there would be no wars to begin with" Prussia declares.

"Moreover, we may have accused the wrong people. I can already imagine the historians in a 100-years-time scratching their heads as they try to decipher this mess. We will probably look like damn fools" Hungary adds.

Austria sighs: "Is it alright that we continue this another time? I think I'm developing a headache.

The others agree. As the two brothers leave, Austria asks Hungary to stay.

"What is it?" she asks as they are left alone. Austria gently takes her hand as they sit next to each other. She waits as he caresses it silent.

"I made a mistake, haven't I?" he finally speaks with a guilty expression. Hungary puts her head on his shoulder, out of pity more than anything.

"Don't worry. We will make things right again" she says.

"How?" he replies depressed.

"Have you forgotten" she says "we have a new ally." The frame moves to Bulgaria who has been waiting outside Austria's office the whole time.

 _The battle mentioned in the story was Kolubara battle. If you cannot tell I embellished a few details here and there. The most important general and the battle strategist was Živojin Mišić (Живојин Мишић). I advise you to check them out if you want to know more about what happened, it really is fascinating._


	115. Chapter 113

_**WWI – start of winter 1914**_

The Winter Palace of the Russian Empire. It's decorated gate walls adorned with snow flakes. Following the main path of the now perfectly white garden, the frame enters the majestic hallways with shiny marble and enough chandeliers to light up an entire city. The space seems to evoke vastness and abundance, making a person feel as if he stepped into a different realm, completely separate from everything found outside. Moreover, merely being surrounded by such splendor, those person can be made to feel removed from the actual world and, consequently, lose any sense of reality.

Russia is in one of the salons in his formal military uniform facing the window. He had gotten used to this place so much that he needs to remind himself to once in a while to look outside and observe the behavior of his people. What he sees now makes him solemn.

The tsar Nikolay II is in an armchair next to a table enjoying his drink. "Anything the matter?" he asks his nation nonchalantly. Despite a few human servants, they are alone.

"The people are protesting" he replies in a monotone voice.

"Same as always" the tsar says.

"I think they are hungry and have gotten tired of the war" Russia adds.

The tsar exhails through his nostrils and takes a sip. "Unfortunately, that is the way things are. We cannot do anything about it now. Not without heavy consequences."

"I see" Russia replies looking at him still sad. The tsar notices his mood and comforts him: "As my cousin Georgie would say 'It's always darkest before dawn'. They are chanting now but they will change their tune once we win the war. With our strength and numbers, it is simply a matter of time and patients. We shall see this through and reap the rewards."

Russia turns towards the window again. "I don't think the people have any more patience to give" he says. Nikolay II finishes his drink, stands up and walks towards him.

"Take my word for it" he says patting him on the forearm, "Our people are strong and patriotic. Their hearts burn with fire. They endured many hardships. They will endure this" he concludes and leaves thought the tall golden door his servant has opened for him. Russia is left standing unconvinced. He keeps listening to them crying of hunger and poor working conditions. "You there" he asks one of the remaining human servants. The poor man flinches surprised before bowing in submission.

"I forgot...How long can people live without food?" the nation asks completely serious.

The servant gulps. "About a week your Empire" he replies.

Russia nods with his eyebrows raised and returns to his window-gazing.

 _ **World Academy W (some time ago)**_

Gym class. A basketball match is in progress. We see the students separated into groups with different colored shirts. Yasna narrates: "So, I have been reading the books recommended by the school counselor. According to them, I am what has been named 'labeled as an outcast' by the masses, or in my case, the other students. Such things cannot be helped. The masses simply find it easier to regard others in simple terms and act appropriately. Regardless, if you deserved it or not, if you are in the right or wrong, the more they see you in a certain way, the more that becomes a part of your social identity. What is even worse, it is considered contagious so no one dares protest. Sadly, this is my reality now and there is nothing I can do about it."

We see her dribbling the ball, looking for an opening. She continues to narrate: "However, labels are not permanent. They tend to fade away over time, meaning that as soon as someone else is put in the spotlight, I have a chance of falling thought the cracks unnoticed. Maybe even be seen as 'normal' again."

She gets near the basket but is blocked by Časlov. As she looks for a way to pass him, her narration continues: "Lucky for me, Alfred has been keeping himself busy with the kids from the Middle East. Still, there is always the problem of my former friends and that little brat badmouthing me whenever they fell like it. In those cases, the book advises to stay low and not do anything that can be seen as antagonising. And that can be almost everything."

Unable to outmanoeuvre him, Yasna quickly takes a step back and aims for the hoop almost half a court away. To everyone's surprise, the ball passes through becoming the victory shot. Her whole team cheers as she jumps up and down ecstatic. "Well, maybe I might show-off here or there just a little" she narrates.

Časlov looks at her with contempt as she smiles surrounded by other students.

Next scene: She opens her locker to find an invitation. Opening it the student smiles.

Next scene: Outside. Yasna leans on a tree in the school park as she explains something to Šćepan and Ivan. Šćepan sits while Ivan squats on the grass. Other Ivan's friends have decided it's a good thing to do something else besides loitering at the park and left for the day. The two boys pass a canteen, taking sips of something with a high percent of alcohol. Ivan still looks terrible, unkempt and sickly.

"All I'm saying is that I'm happy I got invited to the Water polo club. I haven't been a part of any clubs since this whole mess started" she says slightly annoyed.

The two boys nod. Ivan sighs: "Good. And all I'm saying is be careful. Do you even know who invited you?"

"I don't know. Hungary I guess" she says.

Ivan shakes his head bitter. "They are all a bunch of backstabbing tricksters. Every last one of them" he says reliving a recent trauma.

Yasna scratches her head a bit uneasy. She sits next to him and says: "I know how you feel...but they can't be bad all the time."

Ivan scoffs. He offers her the canteen and she takes it. "Trust me, you'd be better off drinking with us. I don't know why we even pretend to be civil. Everything and everyone is rotten to the core" he says disillusioned.

Yasna sighs compassionately. "What's the alternative? Sit around and numb ourselves with drugs and alcohol?" she says.

"Works for me?" Šćepan replies.

"Me too" Ivan adds.

Taking a sip, she frowns. "Oh...that is some strong liquor!" she adds with her eyes tearing up. Ivan smiles, taking it as a compliment.

Next scene: Half an hour later. Yasna walks next to the swimming pool with her gear. She is surprised to see no one there.

"Hello?" she says looking around. Everything is quiet. The sun is setting making parts of the large area dark. Yasna takes a few steps starting to get nervous. Her feet are near the edge of the pool. "Is anyone there?" she asks again. Everything is silent, making her even more anxious.

Water waves reflect on the tile surface.

"Heads up!" we hear a male voice. She flinches as a water polo ball slams her in the face, knocking her over. She falls into the pool unconscious.

As her body falls to the bottom of the pool, the lack of oxygen wakes her up. She gasps for air, before managing to move her arms and legs.

Swimming to the surface, she grabs the edge of the pool and pulls herself up coughing out water. Yasna shivers while frantically looking around. It's getting darker. The place seems empty. She runs to the exit watching her back the whole time. The only person still in school is the custodian, an elderly Aboriginese who criticizes her for making puddles on her way out.

"Sorry" she whispers trying very hard not to burst into tears. She runs outside bumping into someone. It is Jakub.

"Are you okay?" he asks concerned. She looks at him soaking wet, not realizing how terrified she looks. "I'm fine" she mumbles with her lips shaking.

"You don't look fine? You look like you'll get hypothermia" he says and takes off his jacket. "Here, put this on and I'll walk you home" he adds without a second thought.

She accepts, letting him put it on her. He gently lays his hand one her forearm for support. Step by step, they walk slowly.

"So what happened?" he finally manages to utter.

"I...I fell in the pool" she says quietly with her head bowed. Jakub raises his eyebrow confused. He does not ask any more questions until they reach her neighbourhood.

Feeling a little calmer, she thanks him and returns his jacket. He smiles and immediately bows his head. "Um...see you at school then" he says shy.

"Bye" she waves and walks inside.

Next scene: Inside the house. Her mother is making dinner while her brother and father are watching TV. Seeing her, her mother asks: "Hey...Your hair is wet. Is it raining?"

"No" she says going straight upstairs.

"How did the club meeting go?" Šćepan asks innocently.

"F*ck off" she yells before disappearing.

The parents look at him mad. "What...what did I say?" the boy replies confused.


	116. Chapter 114

**_WWI_**

A lovely day in the AH capital. Some people are enjoying their an afternoon stroll while others occupy the garden of many restaurants. Among them are Serbia with SAH enjoying their dessert. They are in the middle of the conversation.

"...That reminds me, I read an interesting article in the newspapers about you a few days ago..." SAH says a little concerned. Serbia's cheerful expression quickly turns grim as she pokes her chocolate cake with her fork. "Yes, I know. I can't believe the filth those reporters spewed after the welcome I arranged for them" she says solemn. A thought bubble appears and we see Serbia dressed in her casually male attire tells something to a group of men and women.

"Alright, we have some very important guests coming from Great Britain. I want you all to show them the great hospitality our nation is known for. This will greatly affect the image our kingdom has in the world so make sure you show even more effort than usual" she says nervous and excited. "Sure" the group yells in unison.

The frame moves down showing Serbia's face. "And for all that I got called a stuck-in-the-past bigot who treats his women likes slaves, indoctrinated to wash men's feet, even if they are strangers" she says bitter as the thought bubble still lingers over her head.

SAH, with a compassionate shrug, takes her fork and pops the bubble. "Well, British reporters are known for their harsh words. It's like they focus on the worst parts of other's culture on purpose" she concludes uneasy.

"Yeah, sounds suspicious to me. A small nation not under our direct control? Find something negative about them and promote it in all the newspapers. You never know when we'll have to use it as an excuse to 'free' it from its wretched ways" Serbia mimics Britain's posh accent.

SAH does not laugh. She nervously puts her utensil away and carefully starts. "Um...regarding your treatment of women, I would have to say that he has a point."

Serbia blinks, feeling betrayed. "Why do you say that? I have as much University educated women as most European countries" she states serious.

"Yes. That's fair. But you have to admit that those are usually women from wealthier families who study abroad. What about the women who live in rural areas or smaller cities? They barely have any education and are treated as second-grade citizens. Not to mention a number of other problems with..."

Serbia interrupts: "We talked about this. Changing the opinion of an entire people group is difficult to do within a generation. It's not like I can flip a switch and make everything better. I am trying, you know. I really am."

SAH sighs. "I know, you are. I'm merely stating that you should try a little harder. Push things through a little faster. Like here, for instance. Look how everyone seems happy and carefree. Sure, there are problems but the average citizen can be content" her companion says.

"Well, you know how my bosses who imposed changes too quickly and too harshly ended up. And as far as how people act here...you have to admit it didn't happen overnight. Austria has already passed through the phase I am in now. He knows exactly how things work just refuses to acknowledge it because it benefits him."

SAH nods and smirks: "I see that you learned a lot from spending time with Europe's greats. Especially the art of making excuses." Her companion acts all offended and scoffs melodramatically. They both chuckle.

Serbia continues: "Listen. I completely understand what you are saying. You are right. There is no reason for humans to cling to outdated beliefs...They do look up to more 'progressive' nations and want what they have. Still, you mustn't force change, not in the way it is being done today. A gun is of no use here, but you can't imagine how powerful a simple eye-rolls can be. After all, no one wants to be know as "that nation".

SAH squints. "Did you just say that in order to make countries modernize, we should weaponize parlor cattiness?"

"No...that came out wrong. I meant to say, nations like working on themselves, they just don't like others dictating what and how fast something has to go."

"Oh."

The two look at their plates silent. "I bet my students don't feel so oppressed. Ever heard of dating? There are so many young unmarried couples occupying benches at parks late in the evening...It would make any representative of Germanic peoples blush" she concludes proud.

"Or scream in outrage!" SAH laughs. She then smiles mischievously. Her companion notices and is immediately intrigued. "Anything new?" she says staring.

SAH tries to stop smiling but is not able to. "Oh nothing" she says unconvincingly.

Serbia squeaks, moving her chair closer. "Are you dating someone? Would I like him? Tell me everything?" she says grinning.

"No. It's...it's not that. It's nothing serious. Just a bit of fun" SAH tries and fails avoiding her gaze.

"It's okay. I'm not judging. Is he a part of the empire? An independent kingdom? Is he a Slav?"

SAH exhails: "Am I this annoying too?"

"Oh come on! Why won't you tell me? Is it a human? A she? Both?" She stops to think and gasps: "A city?"

"God, no! Please stop, you are acting like a peasant maiden before her wedding night. It's ruining your look" SAH replies to which we turn to Serbia who, in her nice dark suits, is holding her arms in her lap while swaying her legs.

"Pleeeeese tell me! I need to know. Do you know how long I haven't..."

"Wait? You haven't been with anyone since you got your independence? But that means…"

"I haven't been with anyone special since I was occupied by the Ottomans. I can't trust just anybody with my secret, you know?" she replies and adds abruptly: "Does he look like the Moravian twin? He was really cute."

SAH looks at her dumbfounded. "Oh look..." she says holding up a menu. Serbia immediately lightens up, moving even closer. "What? I'm all ears."

Her companion makes a face and shows her the middle finger hidden from the rest by the open menu. Serbia is confused: "Is that a clue or a message?"

"I have to go now" SAH says annoyed and jumps up. "Don't worry. Lunch is on me" she says before leaving.

Serbia crosses her arms sulking. "What? You don't think I can pay for my own lunch" she says offended watching her leave. "See you" SAH waves not looking back. We see her smiling, finding Serbia's nosiness entertaining.

End of flashback: Winter 1915. Serbia watches the snow from the window of the palace. The old king and his heir are in the room, looking at her concerned.

"Is everything alright?" the young king says.

She hums turning towards them. "Oh, fine. I'm just wondering about SAH. I hope she's alright."

 _ **WWI — spring of 1914**_

A quiet slightly breeze day. The village is in bloom and with it the many communal festivities have commenced. On this particular day, the entire village celebrates the patron saint of their tiny settlement. This is called zavetina (заветина), while a more familiar term slava (слава) is the celebration of a family or house patron saint.

Many tables, covered with fine white table clothes, are filled with tasty appetisers, salads and cut pastries. And that is just the beginning. Later, roast will be central stage, followed by many varieties of meat dishes which include stuffed peppers, cabbage rolls and soup to make it all go down easier. Later, small desserts will come and of course the whole event will not be complete without a large amount of alcohol.

The larger houses move out other furniture to set up the long tables for their friends and neighbours while the smaller ones have them outside. This day is meant to be marked by everyone, so all, even the poorest, try to participate by at least preparing a chicken or two. It is a good thing that this zavetina didn't fall on a fast day, because fish was scarce at the time.

In the garden of a familiar-looking house a large group of people is sitting while children run around. The men who returned from war and their families laugh, talk, discuss politics and of course tell war stories.

"And then our army attacked...The enemy soldiers were so confused they didn't know what to do. Their lines were broken before sun fall" the godfather retells his experience as others listen with their mouths wide open.

"You sure showed them dad! The things that happened to you are worth being praised in a song. When you leave again, I'm coming with you!" his teen son yells excited.

"No, you're not. I'm not letting my only child run around hills while bullets fly over him" his mother replies calmly eating her soup. The boy protests making his father declare: "Listen to your mother! I need you to be here to tend the fields."

The teen sulks looking to the side. The hostess passes by clearing the empty plates and putting up new ones. "How's the food?" she asks.

"Excellent, you have outdone yourself. Not an easy task with 3 small children" her godfather compliments here, making his wife jealous.

"Oh it's nothing" the hostess adds still standing, "Just like every year... Would you like something to drink?"

The children are playing war. The boy of the house is the loudest and most charismatic, making all of the other children obey him. The godfather looks around "None for me... Where's Tiny?"

"I don't know. He went to check on the baby" the hostess says and moves on to her other guests.

The host finally steps out of the house carrying the baby which seems even smaller in his large hands. He sits near his good friend smiling and teasing his giggling baby girl. The godfather chuckles at the sight: "How is the little one?"

The proud father replies bouncing the baby on his knee. "Good, she can't walk yet."

"That's because you keep carrying here. It's not good for the child to be spoiled like that" the godmother adds.

"I don't mind. She can rest in my arms as long as she wants" the host continues. His wife, looks around the table and seeing that everyone is content, finally sits down herself. The tables are not as full because some families, who lost people in the war, decided to have an intimate feast at home.

The godmother leans in to tell her the latest gossip: "It's so sad what happened to that boy who lied to get enlisted? Did you know that he got blown up by a grenade?" The hostess nods sad: "Such a shame. His wife was sent back to her parents."

"She cried all the way back. I felt so sorry for her" her friend replies.

"Me too...Still, she is young. She will find another" the hostess replies. Her friend looks at her with a raised eyebrow, making her a little nervous. "Yes. You're probably right" the godmother replies relaxed.

Next scene: After all the eating, house hoping and the kids sound asleep, the young married couple are preparing to go to bed. The wife is already in her long white night shirt before she notices that her husband is gazing out the window visibly sad.

"What's wrong?" she asks. He doesn't reply. She moves closer and hugs him.

"It's nothing. I was thinking about the war" he replies putting his hand around her. His body shakes as if he is holding in tears. "It's alright" she says hugging him tighter "Let it out." He immediate breaks down, kneeling on the floor. She holds him tight, sitting on the floor with him.

"I can't do it any more!" he says sobbing "All that death and gore. All that noise. That terrible, terrible noise!"

"It's alright, let it out" she pats him reassuringly. He grabs his head as if he wants to rip it from his body. "And I'll have to do it all over again. I hate killing people! I don't want to take their lives. I never wanted to murder anyone!"

He inhales some air as the tears flow down. "I see them at night, in my dreams. All the horrified faces of the men I..." his lips start to shake.

She shushes him. "It's not your fault. You were defending yourself. It was them or you."

He sighs: "Why does God make us kill each other?"

"I doubt God has anything to do with it" she solemnly says and then has an idea. "You don't have to go. Let's run away. You, me and the kids can start anew somewhere else."

The man finally calms down. "Where? You think it's better anywhere else? Where can uneducated peasant Serbs go and feel welcome?... If you only heard what I heard."

The woman exhails through her nostrils and moves away.

"It's the only way we can live and be free...I have to go back, if not for me than for you and the kids...no matter how much it hurts" he says serious and his eyes start filling up again. His sobbing continues as she stays with him the whole night patting his large back from time to time.


	117. Chapter 115

_WWI – meanwhile_

The AH palace. We see SAH laying in her bed curled up in a ball. She is fully dressed. The bars are still there, covered with white curtains. The doors crack open as the nation turns around. She squints from the light. It is Czechia and the representative of the Romanian minority (called Romania for short) who came to fetch her for their morning shift. They walk through the hallway with their cleaning supplies in hand. They can only see human servants.

"It's so quiet" Romania says.

"Yes" Czechia replies "It feels strange with most of ours off fighting. As if this is not the same place any more."

SAH frowns, staying quiet. The other two notice and continue the walk silent.

Next scene: At Austria's private library. The two polish the many ornaments while Romania checks the electric installations.

"I can't believe a day would come when I would hope Hungary was here. I forgot what a nitpick Austria was" Czechia says getting frustrated with a particularly stubborn stain on the mantelpiece. Romania hums in conformation.

The narrator jumps in unexpectedly: "I suppose I should explain what this means. Before A+H was a thing, Austria used to overlook all of the servants..."

Flashback: We see all of the representatives from that time in a line extremely nervous. Austria slowly walks carefully inspecting each and every one of them. The narrator says: "He wholeheartedly believed that..." he then turns towards us and finishes: "...As members of this empire, we must strive for perfection in all manners." He then turns to small Galicia who gulps. He looks straight into her eyes making her quiver. Staring like that, he finally speaks in an authoritative voice: "Your collar is crooked. Fix it."

"Needless to say, expressing any emotion a degree louder than acceptable was frowned upon" the narrator says while two female servants chat and laugh in the room where Austria reads his newspapers. He immediately turns his head, giving them a judging stare making them stop and slouch.

"He would often belittle their efforts..." the narrator says as we watch them clean one of the salons as he walks pass them with his arms behind his back. "That shelf is not cleaned properly. The floor needs more varnish. Oh for Heaven sake, have you even ironed those curtains?!" he says as they flinch, one by one not really seeing what they did wrong.

"And even straight out punished them..." the narrator continues. We see the Croatian representative shoveling horse dung while muttering: "Was this really necessary? I was only 5 minutes late for orchestra practice." He notices Serbia passing outside with a herd of pigs. Still wearing her fess, she would occasionally pop up to sell live-stoke and do an odd job or two. "May you be live and well" she greets him smiling innocently and moves on. He continues to shovel embarrassed and angry that he is seen in this poor state.

End of flashback: Back at the library, SAH holds the duster moving every books very carefully and looking at the wall behind as if looking for something. The two notice. "What are you doing" Romania says discretely.

She turns to them serious: "Promise not to tell anyone?" They nod.

"I'll looking for that book he used to separate me from Serbia" she says determined. Romania gasps and whispers: "Are you crazy? He'll kill if you even touch it."

"Who knows what else is in it. Perhaps there is some spell that will end this entire madness" she says continuing her search. Czechia tip toes and adds quietly: "Please, please stop. You'll get us all in trouble."

SAH turns with an angry expression. "And what do you propose we do, huh? Wait here like good little slaves while people are tortured and murdered?" she says.

"Listen, I hate to complain but..." her coworker starts but is violently interrupted. "All you ever do is complain. Why don't you stop being so God-damn proper all the time and take your life into your own hands" SAH whispers bitter.

"Hey, I'm with you on that one. In fact, when my kingdom is ready I'll join the fight, but for now..."Romania joins in but suddenly stops. "Someone is coming" he says startled and they all return to their previous positions.

The footsteps become louder as Austria opens the door. He nonchalantly walks pass watching them like a hawk. He stops next to SAH. She notices that he is in an extremely bad mood. Austria pays special attention to her. He then expects the shelf, her hands, clothes not saying a word. She stays perfectly still, trying not to show any emotions. He then steps back and calmly says to all of them: "From now on, everyone will work double shifts. If you are not here working, you will be at the battlefield galvanizing the soldiers."

They sigh displeased. "All except for you Serbia. You will remain here at all times. Is that understood?" he says looking her straight in the eyes. She nods as a sweat drop falls from her forehead. Ominous fast violin music starts to play.

Montage: The narrator speaks: "As you may have guessed, the empire had special plans for the Serbian minority representative..."

Next scene: She is cleaning the windows with a different group. He walks by in the second inspection of that day.

"He started being stockishly interested in her work" the narrator explains.

He stops next to her and observes her progress the longest. "So you decided to clean the inner windows first? Tisk, tisk. How sloppy! Everyone knows that you should start with the outer ones in order to do it correctly" he tells her shaking his head in disappointment. She turns her head frowning to which he sharply adds: "And don't make that ugly face. I am only telling you this for your own good."

"Days go by in constant work and constant discredit. Our poor protagonist can't even reach her bed before..." we see SAH eagerly putting the cleaning supplies away before the next shift arrives asking her to come with them. She sighs deeply.

Next scene: In the garden, she holds a pair of scissors. Austria walks by and says displeased: "You call that rose trimming? I might have to replant them so no one from the royal court would have to witness this atrocity. Sweep the path instead and give those to someone else." She presses her lips and does a curtsy.

Next scene: She is cleaning the floor and is about done when hunt hounds run through, soiling it with their muddy paws. Austria and the royal entourage walk by slowly in their hunting gear. He states with his nose high, ignoring her angry expression. "Might as well do it again. We do not allow such things to discourage us in this empire". She throws her mop mad and grabs the rim of her nose. When she looks again, SAH sees them all piercing her with their stare. She apologizes and picks up the mop.

"And so it goes on. The pompous criticism and non-stop surveillance continue becoming a common everyday occurrence. We can only imagine how she felt." The ominous music stops.

Next scene: A finely polished dinning table. We see SAH's hands slightly trembling as she takes a silver spoon and wipes it with a cloth. Her face is emotionless. Snow can be seen from the large windows. She is alone, for the first time in what seemed ages. Still, it is almost impossible for her to relax, let alone think freely. The hairs on her neck rise as she hears footsteps from the far end of the hallway. Austria enters, in his evening best, and calmly looks at the silverware neatly placed on the table. SAH holds her breath as he observes them taking his time.

"Oh no. This will not do. How do you expect the nobles to use these? They are completely filthy. Clean them again" he says frowning. SAH has finally had enough. She stares at the knife in front of her.

"You do it" she says making him slightly confused.

"I beg your pardon?" he says with an authoritative voice.

She turns towards him and says determined: "You keep walking around as if you are all High-and-Mighty scoffing at everything us 'lesser beings' do. Why don't you show that perfection of yours in action?"

He stares at her not blinking. "Alright" he says uncuffing his shirt. This takes her completely by surprise. He sits down and cleans the utensils one by one. "You see Serbia" he talks as he cleans.

"You consider this a punishment but it is far from it. I am merely teaching you about the proper way to live" his voice is completely calm making her even more nervous. "It is true that you have some innate talents and have managed to scramble some kind of existence for yourself, but do you know why some nations become empires while others do not?...The key is self-discipline. That is why I was able to grow from a small mountainous territory into what I am today while you and your people keep being swept up by war every few decades" he says.

SAH raises her eyebrow.

"It is the truth. This rebellious side of you is a simple remnants of more primitive times. If you want to evolve into a more civilized being, you need to reevaluate your view of the world" he says turning towards her with his head high. She stares at him dumbfounded. Austria stands up and says before walking out: "I hope you appreciate my advice. You are done for today."

She flinches and turns towards the table. The silverware is perfectly placed seeming much shinier than before. She takes the knife and inspects it. Starting to hyperventilate, she throws it in the air and catches it before jamming it towards her chest. She stops just millimeters away from skin.

The knife trembles in her hand. She breaths in and out unable to calm down. "Oh no" she finally speak with a raspy voice. "If you want to kill me, you'll have to do it herself."

She puts the knife back and breathes slouched over the table. We see her from the snowy outside, still sitting in the same manner.


	118. Chapter 116-preview 3

**_World Academy W (Present time)_**

A meeting at the Teachers' Lounge. All of the teachers are sitting down seeming upset. The principal is sitting in the middle with his intertwined hands pressing his moustaches. "I see that things have escalated" he says.

Teachers' heads are bowed. "Not escalated. The arson and explosions have been happening for a while now. _(We see an Asian female student covered with a scarf opening her locker only to be surprised by an explosion)_ They were wrongly classified as average adolescent bullying. Sadly, they have only increased in numbers" a female staff member says.

"Do we know who the culprits are?" the principal inquires.

"No, not for now" the school councillor replies and turns her head towards the Arithmetic teacher, a tanned man with black facial hair and a head scarf. The other teachers look at him as well. He starts to sweat, daunted by the sudden attention: "What? Why do you assume it's one of mine? Almost any student here can make a bomb!"

The school councillor exhails through her nostril displeased. She does not say anything, fearing that her words will be interpreted as biased. When she finally does speak: "Colleagues, let's be clear. We have failed to see the magnitude of the threat and now we are paying the price for it. All the people who are here, are here for a reason. Let us turn on our brains and find a solution together."

She turns to the principal who nods. "You heard the councillor. Now...does anyone have any ideas?"

The frame slowly zooms out of the lounge as the group quietly talks.

 ** _Preview 3_**

The hallways of the World Academy W in complete ruin. The walls are cracked, as well as the floor tiles and there is not a single door stranding straight. The loud bang noises come from the outside. It shakes the entire area as if bombs are falling on an underground tunnel. Yasna runs through in great hurry. She breathes heavily as we see that half of her face is covered in blood dripping on her uniform's collar. Her hair is parted in such a way that we cannot see the wound clearly. There is a harpoon-like weapon in her hand and a spare rope and spear placed around her other shoulder.

She abruptly stops at the crossroads, clenching her knees. It is easy to see that she is tired. Seeing the desired route is clear enough to pass, she smiles. "I honestly do not understand why you even bother" a male voice frightens her.

Yasna flinches turning in the direction of the voice. Taking slow casual steps, Arthur comes forward standing confident. She observes him with a neutral expression.

"It's all pointless. There is no way you can win" he starts his speech. She listens as the bombs are heard outside.

"The world has become too corrupt. It's too late to change anything now. Might as well, wipe all the impurities away and start over" he states openly. Not getting a reaction, he steps forward: "You see, the world..." He is interrupted by a spear flying through his mouth, instantaneously pinning him to the wall behind. His eyes widen as his uniform is covered in blood.

We see his legs twitch as Yasna runs off not looking back.


	119. Chapter 117

(Please be nice, I'm trying to diversify...)

America's house. While he is out, the states are left in charge _(because apparently states there are a bigger thing than cities)_. They are all moping around in self-quarantine. North Dakota, a white guy with face resembling a Native American, sits on the sofa watching a TV show. Michigan, a black man with a specific accent, walks in puffing. He is bored out of his mind looking for something to do.

He sees the other state and asks: "Hey... Have you seen Maryland anywhere?

North Dakota slightly turns his head and shakes it from left to right. He then returns to his show. Michigan looks at the screen still standing. "Is that a new show you're watching?" he asks.

The northern state makes an annoyed face and answers with a simple 'mhm'. The standing state keeps pacing behind the sofa. "Do you want to play some video games?" he adds.

North Dakota exhails and answers: "Maybe after the show."

"Ok, great" the other state says jumping on the sofa. As they watch, he starts talking again. "Oh, another black woman empowering story" he says frowning. North Dakota looks at him confused.

"Don't get me wrong. I love that black women are getting more attention these days. They deserve it. They really do...But what about the black men? Where are movies for our viewing pleasure. I mean, the most we can get out of them is to get a fine girlfriend. What's that all about?"

His companion does not reply trying to concentrate on the show. That does not stop him: "You know what I want to watch? Another movie like Head of State. That was a good one" he says with a grin. After a moment, not hearing anything from the other state, he continues: "Better yet, why not have a black candidate for president."

"Didn't you have Obama?" North Dakota finally speaks. Michigan nods while shaking his head slightly: "I mean yeah...but someone with a but more flare. Someone that would rock his inauguration speech while busting a move."

His companion is even more confused by this. "You mean like...Jason Derulo?"

"Yeah...something like that" he retorts happy. They watch the show for a bit more before Michigan speaks again: "Hey, you're a great guy to talk to. I never felt so comfortable talking about these things with anyone else."

"Thanks. You know I'm usually left out..." his companion starts but is immediately interrupted. "It's not easy to talk to most of my neighbors. They all keep yapping on, not interested in anything anyone else has to say."

North Dakota side-looks him. "I know the feeling" he says under his breath.

Alabama walks by and he and Michigan have a stare off. North Dakota notices and asks: "What's the matter with him?"

"You mean besides the plain obvious? Not a single thing" he replies and laughs out loud.

The other state listens, chuckling a bit himself.

 _I probably made some characterization errors. I'm sorry, I'm still learning. This was out of my comfort zone._


	120. Chapter 118

_**WWI — October 1915**_

The desolated battlefield with no sound other than distant shooting. The narrator starts: "And so the 1915 offensive commenced on Serbia soil." The war sounds intensify. We see AH and German forces marching south. "The enemy, refreshed and restocked, along with new allies has hit Belgrade once again." We see the shelling of buildings and dwindling Serbian forces. The frame stops at one of the Majors looking angry and resentful. "This is where Dragutin Gavrilović (Драгутин Гавриловић) made his famous speech by the way" the narrator concludes.

Next scene: As the enemy forces move south, we see Serbia in her military uniform swinging her empty gun. At the same time, Bulgaria is getting ready. We see him at his house putting on boots.

Next scene: "Where in the world is that ammo?" she mutters through her teeth backing away. On the other hand, the male nation puts a dagger into his utility belt.

Next scene: Serbia looks back seeing the train with ally supplies. "What's the delay?!" she yells and quickly has to turn to avoid an attack. The soldiers on the train cannot hear her because they are having problems with the tracks. Bulgaria is moving closer. He can see her back as she fights. He is close enough to reach her with his hand.

Next scene: We see her fighting, too focused to notice an unexpected hit to the head with the opposite end of the gun. Already very weak, the hit leaves her unconscious and she falls to the ground.

Next scene: She wakes up baffled by the pain and darkness. She feels around and sees that she is in a very narrow place covered in rocks. The only source of light is a very small opening on top of a long and almost vertical slope. Squinting harder, she notices a figure standing, staring straight at her.

"Don't you just love these wonders of nature? Push a man inside and no one will ever see him again" he says almost gloating.

"You sh*thead! I can't believe you took their side" she yells enraged.

"Oh, so now you protest? Tell me Serbia, how does it feel when your neighbour allies with someone stronger than you, bullies you around and takes your things!" he yells angry.

"At least I know how to pick my company, unlike you. You're being played, you just don't know it yet" she says spiteful. Bulgaria smirks. "I have to go now. They need me on the battlefield. Goodbye" he says and walks away leaving her alone, screaming and cussing.

Next scene: _(25_ _th_ _November 1915)_ The enemy forces advance taking the south-east regions by storm. As the cities fall one by one, we look back at the opening in the rock formation. Tired and stressed, Serbia sits cupping her knees. She takes a few breaths and looks up again. "You can do this. You can do this. You can do this" she whispers and looking up.

She stands and puts her hands on the stone wall. She then pushes aside with great force, to the opposite side, moving left and right quickly, grabbing every anomaly in the rocks to move upward. The tall steep seems too tall, but she continues without stopping. There is no room for error. Every thrust and grab has to be done right. Finally, after numerous attempts, her hand grabs the grass on the surface. She gets out but has no time to celebrate seeing the sight. The devastation of her home and men leaves a horrified look on her face.

 _If you are interested in learning more, you can read about battle of Morava of 1915. That's all for now. See you soon._


	121. Chapter 119

**_World Academy W (present)_**

In the hallway, the students are going about their business like any typical day. Yasna is walking while reading some papers. "Hey, how's it going?" a cheerful male voice says.

Startled, she turns and is happy to see Heracles going her way. "Why hello there stranger. It's like I haven't seen you in ages" she jokes as they greet with a kiss on the cheek.

"Oh, nothing special. Trying to work on my grades and such. My mom is angry at me for not applying myself in Economics more. And I'm having some other problems but I won't concern you with them now. How about you?" he says as they walk together through the hallway.

"I was busy too. In fact, I have a really big presentation today so I'm kind of nervous" she says taking a glance at the papers.

Behind them, a small menacing presence appears in the shape of a scruffy boy. He watches the two hiding behind the lockers.

"I see. Are you going to the cafeteria?" Heracles asks. "No, not right now. I'm going to the library so I can go over my presentation one more time" she responds. "Oh" he says.

They continue walking in silence, until Heracles says a little uneasy: "By the way, I wanted to ask you something...You've been a lot of time with Dafina and Aleksia. It's as if you are best friends."

"Well, yeah, sometimes. We hang out between classes but we are not that close" she says defensive.

His face becomes serious. Noticing, she replies: "Don't worry...I know what you're hinting at and, trust me, I have everything under control."

"I'm just saying, you should be careful around them. They are not what you call reliable or strong-willed. They may back-stab you when you least expect it."

Yasna smiles: "It's sweet that you still worry about me like that."

"I have to. I've known you since kindergarten. You act all tough but when someone gets under your skin, you're as mushy as a fig. And besides, it's not just you I'm worried about. There's still that darn kid running around and nobody seems to be doing anything about it" he says serious.

Yasna listens carefully. "Yes, that is an ever burning question. All my hard work can be for nothing if we don't put a stop to his shenanigans" she says as her face becomes concerned.

"I'm glad we agree" he says calm. When they walk by the cafeteria door, they wave bye and Heracles enters. Yasna continues to the library. The hallways are empty by this point. She continues going over her papers, when she feels something hit her in the back. Turning, she sees no one there.

Looking down, Yasna sees a scrunched up plastic cup and tries to estimate where it came from. Slowly as a cat, she walks to the row or lockers. Once there, she quickly looks to the side and finds no one. She hears a door open, turns in that direction and points with a loud 'Ha!'. To her surprise, a very confused Rosario, a boy from South America with a face that resembles Ancient Mayans, stands there with a cigarette in his hand.

"What? A guy can't take a smoke break" he watching her baffled. Yasna puts her finger down, corrects her posture and says with confidence: "That is not allowed inside the school, but whatever..." She says and walks away with her nose up, leaving the poor boy to scratch his head.

Next scene: During IT class. Yasna is standing up making the presentation as Wang Yao and Yong Soo handle the equipment. "So as you can see..." we hear her say but the focus is on another student's monitor. On it, we can clearly see a newspaper article written in German. Ludwig is reading it serious, as the presentation becomes no more than background noise.

"I don't understand it" we hear him think "Here it says that I am the powerhouse of Europe but at this school I'm treated as if I was invisible. That doesn't make any sense." He continues staring at the screen completely focused. He does not even look up when the entire classroom starts to glow as the mesmerised students awe at the spectacle.

As we look further, we can see another solemn face. Honda is also watching his monitor concerned.

"Thank you for that excellent presentation" the IT teacher claps smiling. "We'll have a 5 minute break until the next team sets up their equipment."

Next scene: As Yasna walks by Honda, he says: "That was an excellent presentation."

"Thank you" she says smiling and glances at his screen by accident. "And how are things with you? Are you doing okay?" she asks concerned. Honda looks at his screen and a sweatdrop falls from his head seeing that the online article about the Olympics 2020 being postponed is still there.

"Don't worry. Everything is going to be fine" she says reassuringly. He appreciates it but still replies: "Actually, I was reading about the North Korean dictator. He's been teasing us with his demise for some time now. It would be nice if death finally took him" he jokes still nervous. Yasna nods in agreement and continues to her seat. Honda exhails, not happy with his save.

 _ **June 15, 1389 (23rd June Gregorian calendar)**_

The teen kingdom, in full armor, rides her horse though a grassy field along with her boss Knez Lazar (Кнез Лазар). Both look concerned as they assess their chances against the enemy lines.

Lazar looks especially concerned. The importance of the outcome of this battle is clearly weighing on his psyche. He looks at the Ottoman camp and almost spits enraged. "As I suspected, their numbers are greater than ours. This will be a difficult fight. Curses!" he yells making his horse jump.

"Please try to stay calm, my Lord. We mustn't show fear. That will only give motivation to our enemies" she says calmly. Her boss is deep in thought and getting angrier with every minute.

"If only all of the nobles were here... With our armies combined, we would easily send them home by noon. But alas...they are more concerned with their greed and false pride than with the faith of their own people" he continues his stream of consciousness aloud. He then stops, nods viciously and continues: "Whoever is a Serb and has not come to this battle of Kosovo, may his line cease. May everything he or his kin touch wither, be it wine or wheat!*" * _ **{abbreviated version}**_

Serbia closes her eyes in order to compose herself. "Was that truly necessary? Such a curse may ruin a family up to 6 generations" she says with a shaky voice.

"Good" her boss replies "Maybe then people would learn to uphold their sacred duty. God should punish them for their cowardliness."

Serbia smirks: "You humans speak a lot of God. Especially at times like these. But have you ever considered that he does not want you to kill each other so viciously and so frequently as you do?"

Lazar looks at her confused: "What do you mean? Our cause is noble."

"Yes...as were many before and as many will be after... However, I am beginning to question the logic of solving all your existential problems on the battlefield. Weren't humans given free will for this exact reason? To find ways to elevate life instead of dragging God down into every silly squabble they have with each other?"

"What is the meaning of these words? Are you committing treason?" he yells confused.

"No, my Lord! I apologise for my harsh words" she says with an apologetic bow. "I am merely suggesting that if we are to die today, we should not add throwing hexes to our list of sins" she concludes. Her boss breathes in, thinks for a second and says: "Very well. If he shows a sign of his divine mercy. I will take my words back."

Next scene: Returning to their camp, a commander approaches them. "I have some good news my Lord and Kingdom. A group of soldiers has joined us."

They both look at each other and then at him. "Explain" Lazar says. He introduces him to the leader of the group dressed in Ottoman light armor. The man bows respectful and says in Armenian: "Oh noble king. Our homeland Armenia has been conquered by the Ottomans and we were forced to fight for them. As fellow Christians, our consciousness does not allow us to fight our brethren. Me and my men humbly ask to fight alongside you."

Serbia smiles and translates to her boss what was said. He nods pleased and says: "Welcome brothers. Please feel as you would in your own country."

The young kingdom shakes her head, moving her bangs. "Please accept my blessing for all of your people and representative." She then looks at her boss as if she won a bet: "Blessings are what we all need right now, don't you agree my Lord?"

Lazar smiles, for the first time in months. "Yes, I suppose we do. No use for angry words now. We have a battle to win!"

 _Both of these events happened by the way. The Armenians did switch sides and were reworded with land in Southern Serbia. About the curse, it's mostly legend but it is not unbelievable that he said something similar and others interpreted it as a curse._


End file.
